With Flashlight and Rifle ^ 



all the greater efiect upon a European because, in such 

 circumstance;;, the white of the eyes stands out in the most 

 extraordinary way against the dark skin. 



The rhinoceros slu:nbers on without a suspicion of 

 danofer. The novice might take it for a white-ant hill, and 

 the powerful horns for broken, dry branches. The colour- 

 ing of the animal, which has rolled itself several times in 

 the dust of the desert during its journey, is perfectly toned 

 to its environment ; the pointed ears keep shaking off 

 the persistent little tlies, and thus betray the fact that the 

 colossal creature is alive. 



The animal is usually tormented by a very small, 

 stinging blow-fly (which probably represents a new genus, 

 most closely related to Lyperosia) discovered by me in 

 the year 1903. 



In the year 1899 1 h^d already found the Mto-Nairobi 

 rhinoceroses terribly tormented by ox-fly larvae, which, 

 in the iorm of a hitherto unknown species [Gyrostigma 

 ioujimgens). accomplished their metamorphosis to the 

 number of several hundreds in the stomach ot the beast 

 they infested. When one remembers that these disgusting 

 parasites grow to an inch and a quarter long and half an 

 inch broad, one can understand how much the rhinoceroses 

 must suffer. 



My rhinoceros has not yet noticed the approaching 

 enemy. I take another look at my rifle ; it has long been 

 loaded and in order : and nothing has come between the 

 sight. Lit by the oblique rays of the sun, the great wild 

 beast aftbrds me an easy aim ; but it must not be able to 

 reach us for any kind of attack before falling dead, since we 



592 



