ijo ' THE GREAT THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS 



of human beings, it is necessary for the hunters to use the greatest 

 circumspection when they approach it, whether to avoid or to kih, as 

 in the one case it may probably be taken with a sudden fit of fury, and 

 charge at them, or in the other case, it may take the alarm and escape. 



The upper lip is used by the rhinoceros as an instrument to seize 

 or hold things fast, or with which it can grasp the herbage on which 

 it feeds, or pick up small fruit from the ground. A tame rhinoceros 

 in the Zoological Gardens will take a piece of bun or biscuit from a 

 visitor's hand by means of the flexible upper lip. 



Elephant and Rhinoceros in Battle. — As we have spoken 

 of the three great pachyderms and how each is so strong and mighty 

 by itself — what would they do, were they to come together to dispute 

 each other's i)ath? As you know, the mighty pachyderms of Africa, 

 the elephant, the rhinoceros and the hippopotanuis, arc pure vege- 

 tarians, and hence demand a large pasture-land uninhabited by other 

 animals. When once they find such a i)lace they guard it with jealous 

 care from the intrusion of others. The hippopotamus has a great 

 advantage over the elephant and rhinoceros in this respect, because 

 he can get suftkient food from the plants which grow in the rivers and 

 marshes. Other animals which might seek the same food flee at sight 

 of this wild beast and leave him unmolested. The elephant and 

 rhinoceros, on the other hand, are often com])elled, by scarcity of food 

 and other causes, to change their homes. It is a well-known fact that 

 the elephant starts on long wanderings in quest of new pastures, 

 usually traveling in parties of from six to fifteen. The rhinoceros 

 seeks green marshy land in the same way, Imt with this difference, 

 that, with the exception of the mating season, this grim old beast lives 

 by himself a sort of liermit life. Now, when two such mighty and 

 powerful animals as the elephant and the rhinoceros meet one another 

 in their journevings, one can imagine what a fierce battle is sure to 

 follow. The rhinoceros usually begins with an attack upon his huge 

 adversarv. The elephant is much stronger and larger than the rhinoc- 

 eros, Imt the latter, in spite of his clumsy body, is very quick in his 

 movements, and often runs under the elephant, severely wounding him 

 in the stomach with his horn. AAHien these two animals fall upon each 

 other in this hostile manner, the victorious one is usually the one wliich 



