24 THE RHINOCEROS. 



greens of different kinds, which were often brought to him, 

 and of which he seemed fonder than of his dry victuals, and 

 drank large quantities of water at a time, — being then, as I was 

 informed by his keeper, two years old. It was said by those 

 who took care of him, that from the time of his being first 

 taken, to the time of his landing in England, his expenses 

 amounted to one thousand pounds sterling." 



In a state of nature the rhinoceros commonly lives in soli- 

 tude, moves slowly, with the head hanging down, and often 

 ploughs the earth with his horn, uprooting vegetables, and 

 casting behind him very large stones. When he runs, the 

 tail is stiffly extended like that of a bull. As the rhinoceros 

 consumes an immense quantity of vegetables and of water, 

 he can only exist in places where they abound. The animal 

 which was preserved at Versailles used frequently to enter 

 and roll about in the water of his bath. In their native haunts 

 these animals, notwithstanding the thickness of their hide, 

 are tormented by the stings and bites of numerous insects ; 

 therefore, as a means of defence, they roll in the mud and 

 slime, which, hardening in the sun, forms a sort of cuirass to 

 the naked skin. 



The flesh of the rhinoceros, though coarse and fibrous, is 

 said to be similar in its flavour to pork, and better than that 

 of the elephant. 



The horn of the rhinoceros is much esteemed by the 

 Asiatics : they make drinking-cups of them, believing them 

 to be antidotes against poison : they are capable of a high 

 polish, and are sometimes sculptured with considerable taste 

 and delicacy. The hide is commonly employed to make 

 whips. 



An interesting memoir from the pen of M. Frederic Cu- 

 vier, has appeared in the splendid work published by him 

 conjointly with M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, on the animals in 

 the menagerie in the Garden of Plants at Paris. It relates to 

 the rhinoceros lately living in that establishment, and from 

 which the figure was taken which serves to illustrate the 

 present account, 



"This rhinoceros was but young at the time that the figure 

 was taken ; and, contrary to the commonly received opinion, 

 was habitually of a very gentle disposition, obedient to his 

 keeper, and receiving his care and attention with a real affec- 

 tion. However, he would occasionally be seized with fits of 

 fury, during which it was not prudent to come near him. 

 No cause could be assigned for these violent paroxysms : one 

 might say that a blind impulse or desire to regain a state of 

 liberty, (which he had never enjoyed,) excited him to break 



