NATURAL HISTORY. 



5G5 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



RHINOCEROS. 

 (From the Asiatic Journal.) 



I have frequently heard it 

 questioned if a musket-ball would 

 penetrate the hide of a rhino- 

 ceros. I remember having the 

 opportunity of making the expe- 

 riment on the carcase of an old 

 animal of imcommon size, which 

 had been killed near Givalpara, 

 on the border of the wild country 

 ofAsam, a spot where rhinoce- 

 roses abound. After repeated 

 trials the bullet was found always 

 to fly off, for the skin being very 

 thick and extremely loose, it was 

 constantly by that means put out 

 of its course. 



In that part of the country 

 there are many rhinoceroses, and 

 elephants in vast numbers. So 

 numerous a flock was seen cross- 

 ing the Burhamputa rivc", at a 

 breadth of two miles, that the 

 channel seemed full, nor was the 

 end of the line perceptible, 

 although they had been some 

 time passing. E. S.'s boat, 

 going down the river, was obliged 

 to put about, as it was impos- 

 sible to get by them ; and it was 

 a considerable time before the 

 line had left the jungles of the 

 easteru side, whilst the jungles 



on the western side, prevented 

 their course being traced by the 

 eye. 



The people of the country say, 

 that the rhinoceros is much an 

 overmatch for the elephant ; 

 as the former being very nimble 

 gets round the elephant, makes 

 his attack in the same manner as 

 the wild boar, and rips up the 

 belly of his antagonist. 



On the Dryobalanops Camphora, 

 or Camphor-tree of Sumatra. By 

 H. T. Colebrooke, Esq., President 

 of the Asiatic Society. 



(From the same.) 



In the fourth volume of the 

 Researches of the Society, in an 

 essay on the express subject, the 

 camphor of Sumatra is stated to 

 be " the produce of a tree growing 

 on the north-west side of Suma- 

 tra, from the line to S** north." 

 A familiar description of the 

 tree is given, on the authority of 

 a gentleman who long resided at 

 Tapanooly : and its botanical 

 place is assigned, " in the class 

 Enneandria Monogynia of Lin- 

 naeus, differing however in the 

 form of the leaf from the Arbor 

 camphorifera Japanica, and much 

 resembling the bay in leavps." 



It 



