74 CENTRAL AFRICAN GAME AND ITS SPOOR. 



RHINO (Rhinoceros bicornis). 



Characteristics. 



Pointed prehensile lip in distinction to the square lip of Burchell's rhinoceros 

 (a grass feeder). 



Have not the massive folds of skin which the Asiatic types have. 



Native Names. 



Chinyanja Chipembere. Swahili Kifaru. 



Chiyao Mbera. Chisenga . . . Pembere. 



Chikunda Ntema. Chibisa Ntema. 



Chitonga Chipembere. Chilala Kiweri. 



Zulu (Ngoni) .... Mkhombo. 



Food. 



Chiefly thorny trees such as Ntete (a kind of acacia), Mkuhuu and others. Very 

 fond of the stiff thorn generally known as "Wait a bit." Leaves and twigs of 

 Jombo and Chimpakasa. 



We have not noticed elephant eating the leaves of these trees, and are inclined 

 to think that they do not, as they are very bitter, but elephant will eat the bark of 

 the former. 



A special kind of grass called Mande, spiky stalk of Sasama (elephant also eat 

 the latter). 



Spoor. 



Much the same size as that of hippo, but if the spoor can be seen at all 

 clearly, easily distinguished from the latter as it has but three toes, all of which 

 are very broad, and more resemble a section of a hoof than a toe. From the smaller 

 size and the impress of the toes it can easily be distinguished from elephant spoor, 

 even if only a small part can be seen, except in the grass runs to be alluded to. 

 The dung is much the same size as hippo's, but the rhino frequently returns to 

 the same place to deposit it, a large pile often being seen in his beaten tracks ; 

 he also generally breaks it up and sometimes scratches up earth over it, in the 

 same cursory manner that a dog often does. It is not, however, an invariable 

 rule that the dung is broken, as we have seen some unbroken, old and dry enough 

 to be eaten by white ants. 



