THE ASIATIC RHINOCEROSES ^ 1059 



breadth of the skull. A specimen purchased in 1872, by the Zoological Society of 

 London, for over five thousand dollars, and exhibited in their gardens, differed 

 from the ordinary form by its superior size, paler and browner color, smoother skin, 

 shorter and more thickly-tufted tail, and the longer, finer, and more reddish-colored 

 hair; the latter forming a long fringe on the ears, of which the insides were naked. 

 This animal had also a much wider head than ordinary. It was accordingly re- 

 garded as a distinct species, under the name of the hairy-eared rhinoceros (R. 

 lasiotis] ; but there is little doubt that it cannot be considered as anthing more than a 

 well-marked variety of the Sumatran species. 



There is considerable variation in regard to the dimensions of this species, but 

 Mr. Blanford considers that from four to four and one-half feet will represent 

 about the average height at the shoulder. In the above-mentioned specimen the 

 height at the shoulder was four feet four inches, and the length from the tip of 

 the snout to the root of the tail eight feet; the weight of the animal being about 

 two thousand pounds. On the other hand, in an adult female from the Malay Pen- 

 insula, the shoulder height was only three feet eight inches. There is also great 

 variation in regard to the length of the horns, the back one being in some cases re- 

 duced to an almost invisible knob. Mr. E. Bartlett gives the following particulars 

 of Bornean specimens. In one example, the front horn was four and one-half and 

 the second two inches in length; in a second, while the front horn measured five 

 inches, the back one was a mere knob; and in a third, the front horn had a length of 

 nineteen inches with a girth of sixteen inches, the second horn being fairly developed, 

 although not more than about three inches in height. A single specimen of a front 

 horn had a length of eleven inches, with a basal girth of eleven and one-half 

 inches; but the maximum recorded length is upward of thirty-two inches along 

 the curve. 



The molar teeth of this species are almost indistinguishable from 

 those of the Javan rhinoceros, and as its habits appear to be very much 

 the same as those of the latter, the diet of the two is probably also similar. The 

 Sumatran rhinoceros inhabits hilly, forest districts, and it has been observed in 

 Tenasserim at an elevation of four thousand feet above the sea. It is a good swim- 

 mer, and is reported to have been seen swimming in the sea in the Mergui Archi- 

 pelago. Although shy and timid in the wild state, in captivity it soon becomes 

 tame. 



Mr. E. Bartlett states that in Borneo the dyaks are very partial to the flesh of 

 this species as an article of diet. And he adds that the kyans a race very distinct 

 from the dyaks procure the horns for barter, for which they receive a high price 

 from the Chinese, who import them to China for medicine. The horns are ground 

 into powder for some diseases, while others are cut into minute fragments to carry 

 about the person. The same writer further states that this rhinoceros is becoming 

 extremely rare in the province of Sarawak, on account of the value set upon its 

 horns, but in Central and North Borneo in the very old jungles it is more plentiful. 



In 1872 a Sumatran rhinoceros, recently imported into London, gave birth to a 

 calf; and this event afforded Mr. A. D. Bartlett data for considering that the period 

 of gestation was a little over seven months. This however, as Mr. Blanford points 



