RHEXIA. 



RHINOCEROS. 



sfto 



slightly coloured red, the centre ones above half an inch, deep at the 

 base. Petiole dull red, rounded, rather angular. 



K. palmalum, Linn., generally thought to be the source of the true 

 officinal rhubarb; near the great wall of China. Leaves roundish, 

 cordate, half palmate ; the lobes pinnatifid, acuminate, deep dull- 

 green, not wavy, but uneven and vry much wrinkled on the upper 

 side, hardly scabrous at the edge, downy on the under side. The 

 flowering stems are taller than those of any other species. 



B. Rtbet seems to be so named from the Persian name Ribas, which 

 is as frequently written Rewash, and which Elphinstone, Burnes, 

 and other travellers notice as being highly esteemed by the Persians, 

 and of which the stalks are prepared in a variety of ways, and con- 

 sidered a great delicacy. 



(Royle, Illuatr. Himal. Sot. ; Lindley, Flora Medico, ; Pereira, 

 Elements of Materia Medico,.) 



RHEXIA. [MELASTOMACE*.] 



RHINACANTHUS (from fa, a snout, and axiivBa, a thorn), a genus 

 of Plants belonging to the natural order Acantltaceas. It has a 

 regularly 5-parted calyx with small subulate bracts and bractlets; 

 a bypocrateriform 2-lipped corolla, with a long slender tube, the 

 upper lip narrow, the lower trifid, with equal segments ; 2 stamens 

 inserted in the throat of the corolla, the anthers 2-celled, awnless, 

 with one cell placed above the other almost in a line ; a clavate capsule 

 much compressed at the base, with the commissure of the valves in 

 contact and seedless ; the upper part 4-seedcd, or by abortion 2- 

 seeded ; the dissepiment complete, adnate ; the seeds ovate, bi-convex, 

 augmented with hooks which are concave and obtuse. 



Ji. communit is a native of the continent of India, with opposite 

 stalked broad-lanceolate obtuse leaves, above smooth, below a little 

 downy, entire, from two to four inches long and from one to two 

 inches broad, and a fleshy ring surrounding the base of the ovary. 

 The roots of this plant are boiled in milk, and are reckoned by the 

 natives of India an aphrodisiac. In conjunction with lime-juice and 

 pepper they are used aa an external application for ringworm. 



(Lindley, flora Medico.) 



RHINANTHUS (from t>'a>, a snout, and HvSos, a flower), a genus of 

 Plants belonging to the natural order Scrophulariacea of Jussieu, and 

 the type of the order Jl/iinantltacete of De Candolle. It has a com- 

 pressed membranous inflated 4-toothed calyx ; the superior lip of the 

 corolla galeate, compressed, bidentate at the apex, the lower one spread- 

 ing, 3-lobed ; the anthers bipartite, mutic, villous ; the capsule 2-celled, 

 obtuse, compressed ; the seeds compressed, marginate, or girded by a 

 membranous wing. The species are annual plants, inhabiting marshes 

 and confined in their geographical distribution to Europe. 



Ji. Orita Galli, Cockscomb, or Common Yellow Rattle, has oblong- 

 lanceolate serrate leaves ; the flowers in lax spikes, the calyx glabrous, 

 the lobes of the upper lip of the corolla short, roundish, the bracts 

 ovate inciso-serrate, the seeds with a broad membranous border. 

 This plant has the name of Yellow Rattle from the colour of its 

 flowers, and the rattling noise made by the seeds in the capsule wheu 

 ripe. On this account the fruits are called rattle-boxes in Ireland. 

 In some parts of England this plaut is known by the name of Penny- 

 Qrass, and in Yorkshire it is called Henpenny, from the seed-vessels 

 resembling in shape and size a silver penny. The term Cockscomb 

 has been applied to this plant from tha fringed appearance of the 

 bracts which surround the flowers. The seeds of a species of Rhin- 

 anlhus were at one time used in infusion for destroying vermin in 

 bedstead* and furniture. 



R. major has linear-lanceolate serrate leaves ; the flowers in crowded 

 spikes, the calyx glabrous, the lobes of the upper lip of the corolla 

 oblong, the bracts inciso-serrate, with an attenuated point, the seeds 

 with a very narrow membranous border. This is the plant of British 

 botanists, but the R. major of Koch and Richenbach has a broad 

 membranous margin to the seed, and the central part of the upper 

 lip of the corolla as prominent as the lateral lobes. This plant is 

 found in meadows and corn-fields in the North of England, and :d-o 

 in Scotl:ui'l. 



Several other species of this genus have been described. Koch, in 

 his ' Flora Oermanica,' has five R. minor, the R. Critla Galli above 

 described, R. major, R. alec/orolophu*, It. anguitifulitu, and R. alpinus. 



(Don, Dichlamydeoiu Plant* ; Babingtou, Manual of British 

 Botany.) 



RHINELLA. [AMPHIBIA.] 



RHINOBATIDvE. [K.uiD.E.] 



RHINO'CEROS (the Greek 'Vtvoicipus), the name of a genus of 

 Pachydermatous Quadrupeds, placed by Linntcus in his order Bruta ; 

 and by Illiger in his order Multunyula, family Naticomia. It has 

 been a question whether one of the species, lihinocerot unicoruit, 

 I/inn. (R. Indicia, Cuv. and Desm.) is not the am (Reem), or O"\ (Item), 

 of Scripture (Numb, xxiii. 22; xxiv. 8 ; Deut., xxxiii. 17; Job, xxxix. 

 9, 10; Psalms, xxii. 21 ; xxix. 6 ; xcii. 10 ; Isaiah, xxxiv. 7). 



In the Septuagint the word is translated ttomitfpies, or Unicorn, 

 except in Isaiah, where it is rendered 'Afpol (or the mighty or power- 

 ful onea). 



In the Tigurine and Vulgate versions the word is rendered (Numb., 

 xxiii. 22 ; Job, xxxix. 9, 15) Rhinoceros, with a note to the former, 

 that others read Monoceroa ; and in Scheucbzer's ' Physica Sacra' 

 we have (Tab. 313) Numb., xxiii. 22, illustrated by a somewhat extra- 



vagant and exaggerated figure of a one-horned Rhinoceros, with 

 "Reem : Rhinoceros" below the plate. 



In the Bible " Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to 

 the King's most excellent Maieatie " (' Breeches ' Bible), the word used 

 is ' Unieorne; ' and ' Unicorn' is the expression iu the version now in 

 use in our churches. 



Some are of opinion that the Reem, or Re'im, of Scripture were 

 savage animals of the Bovine genus, and others that the word signified 

 the Oryx, observing that Reem is the Arabian name for a species of 

 wild-goat or gazelle. These allege that the Reem was two-horned. 

 (Deut. xxxiii. 17; Psalms, xxii. 21.) The better opinion seems to be 

 that the animal or animals intended to be designated in most of the 

 passages quoted, if not in all, was or were the Rhinoceros unicornis, 

 or Great Asiatic oue-horned Rhinoceros. II. Lesson expresses a 

 decided opinion to this effect; and indeed the description in Job 

 (chap, xxxix.) would almost forbid the conclusion that any animal 

 was in the writer's mind except one of surpassing bulk and indomit- 

 able strength. 



It has also been doubted whether accounts of the Indian "On 

 aypioi (Wild Asses) given by Ctesias (' Indie.,' ed Biihr) were not highly 

 coloured and exaggerated descriptions of animals of this genus, 

 and whether the "Oros 'IvSunfc (Indian Ass) of Aristotle was not a 

 Rhinoceros. 



The account of Ctesias is evidently tinged with fable; but there 

 are parts of it which suit well with the habits of a Rhiuoceros. He 

 describes his Wild Asses as being as large as horses, and larger, with 

 white bodies, red heads (woptpvpoi), and blue eyes (KVUVCOVS), having a 

 horn on the forehead a cubit long, which for the extent of two palms 

 (iroAoKTTtSs) from the forehead is entirely white ; above it is pointed 

 and red (tpoivMow ipvBp'bv wdu), and black iu the middle. Of this 

 horn drinkiug-cups are formed, and those who use them are said not 

 to be subject to spasm (<rjrao>i<j>) nor epilepsy (iepa v6aif), nor to the 

 effects of poison, provided, either before or after taking the poison, 

 they drink out of them wine or water or any other liquid. Other 

 asses, whether wild or domesticated, have no astragalus, neither have 

 the other wild solipedes (nilivvxa) ; but these have au astragalus and 

 a gall-bladder (?) (xoK^ M TOU ijiraTos). " Their astragalus," adds 

 Ctesias, " which I have seen, is very beautifully formed (/coAXim-ov), 

 in figure and size like that of an ox, heavy as lead, and red throughout 

 like cinnabar. This animal is very swift and very strong. Neither 

 a horse nor any other pursuer can overtake it. It begins its progress 

 slowly, increasing in speed as it goes on, and runs quicker and faster. 

 They are not naturally ferocious, but when they first lead forth their 

 little young ones to graze, and are surrounded by many horsemen, 

 they are unwilling to fly and leave their young, but fight with horns 

 and heels (\aKria/uuri) and teeth (oiryiuun), killing many horses and 

 men. They are also destroyed by arrows and javelins, for they are 

 not to be taken alive. The flesh is not eatable by reason of its 

 bitterness, but the animals are hunted for the sake of the horns and 

 astragali" 



It is not at all improbable that these parts, so much sought after 

 on account of supposed virtues, underwent some process by which 

 they were artificially coloured in the manner above described. 



Aristotle, who (lib. viii. c. 28) speaks of Ctesias as not being worthy 

 of credit, notices (lib. ii. c. 1) the 'IvSwos ofos (Indian Ass).. He 

 observes that he has never seen a one-horned soiidungulous acimal ; 

 but there are a few which are monoceratous and soiidungulous, such 

 as the One-Horned Indian Ass ('IJi/cis ojs /jtoi/6icfpa.<s), and that it is 

 the only one of the soliduugulous animals which has an astragalus. 



Agatharchides describes the One-Horned Rhinoceros by name, and 

 speaks of its ripping up the belly of the Elephant. (' Phot. Bibl.,' ccl.) 

 This is probably the earliest occurrence of the name Rhinoceros. 



The Rhinoceros which figured iu the celebrated pompa of Ptolemy 

 Philadelphus was an Ethiopian, and seems to have marched lost in the 

 procession of wild animals, probably on account of its superior rarity, 

 immediately after the camelopard, and before the wain carrying 

 Bacchus fleeing to the altar of Rliea from the persecution of Juuo. 

 (Athenaeus ' Deipn.,' v. c. xxxii.) 



Dion Cassius (lib. li.) speaks of the rhinoceros killed in the circus 

 with a hippopotamus in the show given by Augustus to celebrate his 

 victory over Cleopatra; and says that the hippopotamus and this 

 animal were then first seen and killed at Rome. If the rhinoceros 

 was one-horned, as it appears to have been from his description, he 

 was certainly wrong as to the sight at least ; for Pliny (' Hist. Nat.,' 

 viii. 19), alluding to the games of Pompey the Great, remarks, " lisdein 

 ludis et rhinoceros uuius in nare cornu, qualis siepe visus ;" and pro- 

 bably equally wrong as to the killing, for upon great occasions few 

 animals left the arena alive, and Pompey was not likely to have risked 

 his popularity by baulking the Roman appetite for blood. It is not 

 improbable that the rhinoceros slain upon the occasion of the victory 

 of Augustus with the hippopotamus was African, and two-homed. 

 If so, Dion would be right ; for it does not appear that a two-horned 

 rhinoceros had ever been either seen or slain previously. 



The rhinoceros so clearly described by Htrabo (lib. xvi. p. 774), as 

 seen by him, was one-horned. The folds of the skill are distinctly 

 alluded to. That noticed by Pausanias (lib. ix. c. 12) as 'the Bull of 

 Ethiopia ' was two-horned, and he describes the relative position of 

 the horns. 



