THE GIANT PIG OF THE JUNGLE. 159 



massive ; its vast paunch hangs down nearly to the 

 ground ; its short legs are strong, like columns, and have 

 three toes on each foot ; the misshapen head has long and 

 erect ears, and ludicrously small eyes ; the skin, which is 

 completely naked, with the exception of some coarse 

 bristles at the tail and the upper end of the ears, is com- 

 paratively smooth in the African species, but extremely 

 rough in the Asiatic, hanging in large folds about the 

 animal, like a mantle. From the snout to the tip of the 

 tail the African rhinoceros attains a length of from fifteen 

 to sixteen feet, a girth of from ten to twelve feet, and a 

 weight of from four thousand to five thousand pounds ; 

 but, in spite of its ponderous and clumsy proportions, it 

 is able to speed like lightning, particularly when pursued. 

 It then seeks the nearest wood, and dashes with all its 

 might through the thicket. 



5. " The rhinocercs is endowed with an extraordinary 

 acuteness of smell and hearing ; he listens with attention 

 to every sound, and is able to scent from a great distance 

 the approach of man ; but, as the range of his small, deep- 

 set eyes is impeded by his unwieldy horns, he can only 

 see what is immediately before him, so that if one be to 

 leeward of him it is not difficult to approach within a few 

 paces. To make up for the imperfection of its sight, it is 

 frequently accompanied by a beautiful green-backed and 

 blue-winged bird, about the size of a jay, who warns it of 

 approaching danger by its cry. 



6. " ' Many a time,' says Gordon Gumming, ' have 

 these watchful attendants disappointed me in my stalk. 

 They are the best friends the rhinoceros has, and rarely 

 fail to awaken him, even in his soundest nap. He per- 

 fectly understands their warning, and, springing to his 

 feet, he generally first looks about him in every direction, 

 after which he invariably makes off. I have often hunted 



