CHAPTER IX 



THE AFRICAN RHINOCEROS 



There are not less than five species of rhinoceros in 

 existence. Of these, Asia claims three. The great, or 

 Indian, rhinoceros, and the Javan variety, carry but one 

 horn, whereas the Sumatran, the smallest of all living spe- 

 cies, has two horns, like his African relative. The Su- 

 matran seems to be more closely related to the African 

 rhino than the other two Asiatic species, for he has not 

 only two horns, but his skin has not the large armor-plated 

 patches as clearly defined as the Indian and Javan rhino. 



Of the two African species, the white or square-lipped 

 rhinoceros is the larger of the two. This rhino is also 

 much the rarer, existing only in a few small districts in 

 South Africa and in the Lado Enclave, to the north of 

 Uganda, where recently Colonel Roosevelt was lucky 

 enough to secure several fine specimens. The skin of the 

 " white rhino " is in reality not white at all, but dark gray, 

 and only very little lighter than the ordinary " black 

 rhino." His front horn attains a height of some thirty 

 to sixty inches, a good deal larger than any horn of the 

 common black rhino, while he stands about six feet high 

 over the shoulders. 



The black rhinoceros, usually met with all over East 

 and Central Africa, is somewhat smaller, averaging five 



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