242 MAMMALIA. 



smooth as a buffalo's, while in the single-horned it it dis- 

 posed in immense folds all over its neck, shoulders, 

 haunches, and thighs ; so that it looks as if harnessed in 

 its own natural tackling ; and the Karens call it the " coat 

 of mail rhinoceros.''* The horns of both species are 

 bought by the Chinese for medicine. " From the earli- 

 est times," says a recent writer, " the horn of the Indian 

 rhinoceros has been regarded either as an antidote 

 against poison, or as efficacious in detecting its presence, 

 as well as useful in curing diseases ;" and the Chinese 

 seem to retain the ideas of antiquity on this subject, as 

 they do on every other. 



JAVANESE RHINOCEROS. 



The southern Karens say there is a third species of 

 rhinoceros in the jungles, which is distinguished from 

 both the others by its skin being covered with small 

 tubercles; and above all by its eating fire! Wherever 

 it sees fire, it runs up, and devours it immediately ! 



I once lost my way amid the hills and valleys of Palavv 

 and Katay ; and on obtaining a Karen who lived in that 

 region for a guide, he laid special charges on every mem- 

 ber of the party to follow him in silence, for a fire-eating 

 rhinoceros had been recently seen, and it always came 

 to noises, instead of fleeing from them as most animals do. 

 It is further described as excavating a habitation for itself 

 on the mountain side, in which it remains during the 

 principal part of the dry season, and wanders about during 

 the rains. Amid the marvelous there is sufficient truth 

 in this description to enable us to recognize it as the 

 Javanese rhinoceros, and its supposed fire-eating pro- 

 pensity brings to mind a striking resemblance to the blaek 

 African rhinoceros. Rh. Africanus. "This animal ap- 

 pears to be excited by the glow of a fire, towards which it 

 rushes with fury, overturning every obstacle. It has been 

 known to rush with such rapidity upon a military par- 

 ty lodged among the bush covering the banks of the Great 

 Fish river, that before the men could be aroused, it had 

 severely injured two of them, tossed about, and broke 



