82 THE RHINOCEROS. 



scales ; but they are mere indurations of the skin, which in the 

 creases between the folds, is not only penetrable, but quite soft, 

 and of a light flesh colour. The belly of this animal is large, 

 and its legs short, massy, and strong: its upper lip is long, capa- 

 ble of great extension, and, like the proboscis of the elephant, 

 serves to lay hold of any thing that it would convey to its mouth. 



The strength of the Rhinoceros is the most conspicuous ad- 

 vantage conferred on it by Nature. It seems rather to partake 

 of the stupidity of the hog, than of the sagacity of the elephant, 

 and, without being ferocious, or even carnivorous, is totally un- 

 tractable. It is a solitary animal, loves moist and marshy grounds, 

 especially near the banks of rivers ; and, like the hog, delights 

 to wallow in the mire. It seems to be subject to sudden paroxysms 

 of madness, which are sometimes attended with fatal effects. A 

 rhinoceros, which Emanuel, king of Portugal, sent as a present 

 to the Pope, A. D. 1513, destroyed the vessel in which it was 

 embarked ; and some years ago,, another, which had been ex- 

 hibited at Paris, was drowned in a similar manner, in its passage 

 to Italy. 



The food of the rhinoceros is wholly of the vegetable kind 

 it seerns to prefer the grossest herbs to the most delicate pastur 

 age ; but yet is very fond of the sugar-cane, and of all kinds of 

 grain. The hearing of this animal is very acute, and it listens 

 with great attention to any kind of noise ; but from the peculiar 

 construction of its eyes, its sight is defective, and can be directed 

 only to objects immediately before it. The acuteness of its hear- 

 ing, and the impenetrability of its skin, oblige the hunters to 

 follow at a distance, and watch it, until it lies down to sleep, 

 when they approach with great precaution, and discharge their 

 muskets all at once into the lower parts of its belty. 



A foetus of this animal, which had been extracted from the 

 mother, was sent from Java, and deposited in the royal cabinet 

 of Paris ; and the memorial which accompanied this present, 

 stated, that twenty-eight hunters had assembled to attack the 

 female rhinoceros, and followed her at a distance for some days, 

 observing carefully fo reconnoitre her progress ; and that having 

 by these means surprised her when asleep, they approached her 

 so near, as to discharge at one volley the contents of their twenty- 

 eight muskets into the vulnerable part of her belly. 



Without being useful like the elephant, the rhinoceros is ex- 

 tremely hurtful, by the devastation that he makes whenever he 

 enters any cultivated grounds. His consumption of victuals is 

 exceedingly great. 



In the year 1743, Dr. Parsons published a minute description 

 of one of these animals, that was brought from Bengal into Eng- 

 land. Though only two years old, the expense of his food and 



