RHINOCKROa 



UHINOCEROa 



Mr. Wood (' Zoography ') give* an engraving of the coin of 

 Domitian (mull Kotnui bran), on tha reverse of which it the dis- 

 tinct form of two-horned rbinooeroi that coin which, with the 

 epigram of Martial, baa 50 mizzled antiquariei, and led >ome of them 

 astray, when a TOJ little knowledge of natural history would have 

 kept them in the right road. 



"The exhibition of the Two-Horned Rhinoceros to the Roman 

 people, probably of the very cam* animal represented on the coin," 

 says Mr. Wood, " is particularly described in one of the epigrams 

 attributed to Martial ('De Spectaculis Libellus,' 'Ep.,' xxii.), who lived 

 in the reigns of Titus and Doinitian." 



The following are the lines : 



" Bollldtant paridl dum rhinoorroU magiitri, 



Bvpt diu augam eoUifit Ira ttrm. 

 DecptrsbaBtv prosaist! pralia Martta : 



Bed taiasm t> redllt eognltni ante furor, 

 Kamqo* STarem ftmiita tent* tie eztullt umum, 



Jaeut at iropoiiiui Unnu la utra pilu." 



" By this description it appears that a combat between a rhinoceros 

 and a bear was intended, but that it was very difficult to irritate the 

 more unwieldy animal, so as to make him display his usual ferocity ; 

 at length however he tossed the bear from his double horn, with as 

 much facility as a bull tosses to the sky the bundles placed for the 

 purpose of enraging him. Thus far the coin and the epigram perfectly 

 agree a* to the existence of the double horn ; but unfortunately 

 commentators and antiquaries would not be convinced that a rhino- 

 ceros could have more than one horn, and have at once displayed 

 their sagacity and incredulity in their explanations on the subject 

 Hence we find 'a similar coin engraved in the second volume of 

 Cooke's ' Medallic History of Rome,' where the animal is misrepre- 

 sented, and particularly the horns, which appear like tusks, bending 

 in different directions. After quoting the lines of Martial, Mr. Cooke 

 observes, that it is the opinion of Bochart that the disputed line 

 should be read thus 



" Namque gran geminum cornu lie citulit urtum." 



By which alteration we should have two bears instead of one ; * but 

 Mr. Cooke proposes to omit only one letter, the i in the word 'uraum,' 

 by which means he turns the bear into a wild bull ; and as it U per- 

 fectly natural that the wild bull, or urus, should have two horns, he 

 translates the line thus 



"Struck with inurement, we beheld upborne 

 The buffal dreadful with bU double hoin." 



If Cooke had seen the coin himself, or had consulted that book so 

 useful to a medallist, the ' Catalogue of Dr. Mead's Coins,' he would 

 not have deprived the epigram of its original and curious in- 

 formation." 



Two at least of these two-horned rhinoceroses were shown at Rome 

 in the reign of Domitian. 



The emperors Antoninus, Heliogabalus, and Gordian, nlso exhibited 

 rhinoceroses, and Captain W. H. Smyth, R.N., noticing a coin of the 

 emperor Philip (large brass), speaks of a noble lion on the reverse as 

 representing one of the Lroxet Xanmeti mentioned by Capitolinus. 

 "It seems," says Captain Smyth, speaking of the 'Soeculares Augus- 

 torum' (the legend on the reverse), "that there were provided no 

 fewer than 32 elephant*, 10 tigers, 10 elks, 60 lions, 30 leopards, 

 1 hippopotamus, 1 rhinoceros, 40 wild horses, 20 wild asses, and 10 

 cameleopards, with a vast quantity of deer, goats, antelopes, and 

 other boasts ; and, still further to increase the public hilarity, 2000 

 gladiators were matched in mortal affray." ( Descriptive Catalogue 

 of Cabinet of Roman Imperial large Brass Medals.') 



Comma, speaks expressly of the Ethiopian Rhinoceros as having two 

 horns, and of its power of moving them. 



The first rhinoceros seen by modern Europeans appears to have 

 been a Mixoftrot nieomu (Lion.), sent from India to Emmanuel, 

 king of Portugal, in 1513. Emmanuel sent it as a present to the 

 Pope, but the animal in an excess of fury sunk the vessel on its 

 passage. A sketch of the animal was sent from Lisbon to Nurnbarg 

 for Albert Diirer, who engraved the extravagant figure from which 

 those of Oesner, Aldrovandi, Jonston, and Scheuchzer were taken. 

 Among other monstrosities, the animal, which is represented as if it 

 were clad in offensive and defensive armour, has a second small horn 

 projecting from the top of the shoulders. A reduced copy of the 

 same figure is given in the early edition of Petiver. In 1656 we find 

 in the ' Catalogue of the Mussram Tradescantianum ' (sec. iL, Four- 

 rooted Beasts, with some Hides, Hornos, Hoofs') 



" The Rhinoceros 



"horn, 

 jaw-bone, 

 back-bone." 



In 1685 one was brought alive to England; another was shown 

 throughout a great part of Euro|M> in 1788 ; and a fourth, a female, 

 in 1741. The Rhinoceros of 1789 was described and figured by 

 Parsons (' PhU. Trams' xliL), and be also mentions that of 1741, 

 which animal Cuvier believes to be the same that was shown at Paris 

 in 174, painted by Oudri, and afterwards engraved by Edwards 



AIM) also s pleee of bad Lati.l. 



('Gleanings'), and that figured by Albinus. It was certainly that 

 described by Daubenton, and the subject of the observations of 

 Meckel. The Rhinoceros whose osteology U described by Cuvier was 

 the fifth that had come to Europe. It arrived at Versailles in 1771, 

 being then very young, and Buffon notices it iu his supplement. This 

 animal died in 1793, at the age of 25 or 26. In 1790 a rhinoceros was 

 brought from the East Indies to this country as a present to Mr. Dun- 

 das, who gave the animal away. It was afterwards purchased by 

 Pidcock for 700, and was exhibited at Exeter Change and about the 

 country. A seventh, very young, destined, it is said, for the menagerie 

 of the emperor of Germany, arrived from the East Indies in 1800, and 

 died in London soon after its arrival This animal was dissected by 

 Mr. Thomas, who published his observations in the ' Philosophical 

 Transactions.' An eighth, which afterwards went to Germany, was 

 seen at Paris some years afterwards. All these were one-horned. Of 

 late years several of the same species (R. Indicia) have arrived in 

 London. One of these, a fine healthy animal, is now living in the 

 Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park. 



No two-horned rhinoceros seems to have been brought alive to 

 Europe in modern times. 



The bony framework of the animal of this genus approximates to 

 that of the Jfyrax, the Tapirs, and the Horse among living genera. 

 Though a general resemblance pervades the entire skeleton of the 

 animals of this genus, there ore certain differences, in the skull espe- 

 cially, which render it advisable to notice certain of the species 

 separately with regard to their osseous structure. All the species 

 have seven molar teeth on each side, both in the upper and under jaw, 

 but the species differ as to the incisors. The following ia the dental 

 formula of R. Indicia (R. ttnicornit, Linn.) : 



Incisors, - ; Canines, : Molars, ' = 86. 

 4 77 



The pyramidal elevation of the cranium is the first point that 

 strikes the observer on viewing the skull of the R. Indicia. The next 

 remarkable parts are the ossa nasi, which are of a size and thickness 

 without example among quadrupeds : these form on arch or vault, 

 which overhangs what may be termed the incisive bones, and gives 

 support to the horn, forming, with the parts of the maxillary bones 

 which carry the incisivea, the great nasal notch which distinguishes 

 the skull of these animals. Hence three pair of bones the nasal, the 

 incisive, and the maxillary contribute in the Rhinoceros to form the 

 contour of the external apertures of the nostrils ; whilst, with the 

 exception of the Tapir, the two first only are employed for this pur- 

 pose in the other quadrupeds. The form of the molar teeth varies 

 but little from that which characterises those of other species. The 

 upper incisors are very much compressed, and placed obliquely at a 

 very considerable angle ; the lower incisors are large, pyramidal, and 

 pointed, and between them are two very little incisors, which are 

 supposed never, or hardly ever, to cut the gum. There are also two 

 little incisors on each side of the two upper great ones ; but these are, 

 on the contrary, on the outside of the large incisor teeth. The form 

 of the lower incisor teeth reminds the observer of the instrument 

 generally used by husbandmen for extracting docks (Rumc.i-) from 

 their pastures, and they appear to be calculated for uprooting plants, 

 as well as tearing or stripping up branches or stems of shrubs or trees. 

 In the case of uprooting, the nipper-like operation of the two great 

 upper incisors, as opposed to the lower ones, would materially assist 

 the extraction. 



The number of molar teeth on each side often varies in different 

 individuals, though there are never more than 23. 



There are 56 vertebra in all 7 cervical, 19 dorsal, 3 lumbar, 

 5 sacral, and 22 coccygian. The transverse apophyses of the atlas are 

 very great and very wide, and without obliquity, so that their contour 

 is nearly rectangular, which distinguishes them from those of the 

 Hippopotamus ; their extreme size distinguishes the atlas of the 

 Rhinoceros from that of the Elephant still more clearly. The spinous 

 process is only a large tubercle, and below the body of the vertebra ia 

 a small longitudinal crest. There are 19 pairs of ribs, 7 of which ore 

 true ; they are easily recognised by their proportional thickness and 

 the great arch formed by their curvature. The first pair are soldered 

 together below. The sternum in the adult is composed of four bones; 

 the first is compressed into a ploughshare-shape, and projects in a 

 point in front of the first rib. 



Of the anterior extremities the following parts are remarkable : 

 The scapula is oblong ; its greatest width U at its upper fourth ; its 

 posterior border is elevated and thickened at this point. The crest 

 has a very projecting apophysis at its upper third, directed a little 

 backwards ; this crest terminates at the lower fourth of the scapula, 

 and consequently there is no acromion ; a tuberosity occupies the 

 place of a coracoid process, and the glenoid cavity is nearly round. 

 This configuration distinguishes the scapula or blade-bone of the 

 Rhinoceros from that of other great quadrupeds ; that of the 

 Elephant, for example, forms a nearly equilateral triangle, and the 

 spine a great recurrent apophysis. The widely-crested humerus is 

 very remarkable, and distinguishable from that of every other 

 quadruped of the same size, but the carpus is formed after the same 

 model as that of the Tapir and the Horse ; though the Rhinoceros 

 and the Tsjiir resemble cncli other more than they respectively 



