RHINOCEROS. 



RHINOCEROS. 



Teeth of RltiMxtrat Jatantu. (F. Curler.) 



apophyiu* can hardly be traced. The occipital crest is less elevated ; 

 there is no apophysis on the superior edge of the incisive bones; 

 the orbit has a more forward position ; the posterior base of the 

 zygomatic arch is leu approximated to the occiput ; the region of the 

 external opening of the ear is wider; the descending part of the 

 occipital arch, which is trenchant in R. fndictu, is here stout and 

 obtunc. The posterior surface of the skull of R. Jaraniu its wider 

 than it U high : in K. Indiou it is just the reverse ; and the same 

 difference exists in the dimensions of the occipital hole. 



The ostology of this genus can be well studied in the museum of 

 the Royal College of Surgeons of England, where there is a skeleton 

 of the Sumatran two-homed species, and a fine collection of separate 

 portions of the oaseous system of the teeth and the horns of these 



Skin naked, very thick, of a dull deep purplish-gray, marked with 

 sub-elevated, rounded, and other inequalities, and remarkable for the 

 deep folds which it forms behind and across the shoulders, and before 

 and across the thighs, Ac. There are a few stout, stiff, horny, and 

 smooth hairs on the tail and on the ears. 



The best early figure of R. Indicui known to us U that of Bontius, 

 which, though somewhat exaggerated by the draughtsman about the 

 lip, and furnished with little claws instead of broad nails, gives in 

 general a correct idea of the animal 



Pennant, who U decidedly of opinion that this species is the 

 Unicorn of holy writ, and the Indian Ass of Aristotle (p. 463), says 

 that it loves shady forests, the neighbourhood of rivers, and marshy 

 places ; that it brings forth one young at a time, and is very solicitous 

 about it ; that it is quiet and inoffensive, but when provoked, furious, 

 very swift, and very dangerous. " I know a gentleman," he continue!, 

 " who had his belly ripped up by one, but survived the wound." 



The Rhinoceros described by Dr. Parsons came to London in 1739 

 from Bengal. It is stated that though but two yean old, the expense* 

 of his food and his voyage amounted to near 10002. sterling. 



The rhinoceros brought to this country in 1790 is the subject of on 

 interesting account by Mr. Bingley, in his ' Animal Biography.' When 

 it arrived it was about five years old, was tolerably tractable, would 

 walk about at its keeper's command, and allowed the visitors to pat 

 his back and sides. He was allowed twenty-eight pounds of clover, 

 about the same quantity of ship-biscuit, and a great quantity of greens 

 daily. Twice or thrice a-day five pails of water were given to him. 

 The vessel out of which he drank contained about three pails, and 

 each time as the animal drank the vessel was filled up. He never 

 ceased his draught till the vessel was exhausted. He was fond of 

 sweet wines, and it is stated that he would drink three or four bottles 

 in a few hours. 



The stomach of these animals U simple ; their intestines are very 

 long, and the ctccum is very large. Span-man, who dissected a Cape 

 Two-Horned Rhinoceros a* well as his position and his Hottentot assist- 

 ant* would permit, remarks that the viscera most resemble those of a 

 horse ; though the stomach did not in the least resemble that of a 

 hone, but rather that of a man or a hog. It was 4 feet in length and 

 two feet in diameter ; and to this viscus was annexed an intestinal 

 tube 28 f**t in length and 6 inches in diameter: at 34 feet from the 

 bottom was a large ctccum. The liver was 34 feet in breadth, but in 

 I- i.th (Ukrn as if the animal were in a standing position) 24 feet. 

 There wa* no gall-bladder nor any trace of it. The spleen was hardly 

 foot broad, but full 4 feet long. 



The heart was a foot and a half in length, and the breadth was 

 not much leu. The right lobe of the lungs had an incision in it 

 (probably made by the Hottentots who excnteraUd the animal, or by 

 the shot, which passed through the great blood-vessels of the lungn, 

 and mortally wounded the animal), but was in other respect* undi- 

 vided and entire : it was 2 bet in length. The kidneys were a foot 

 and a half in diamtUr. 



The bid* of the Rhinoceros is perhaps a* thick as, if not thicker 

 than, that of any other pachydermatous animal The horns, solid as 

 they are apparently, consist actually of congregated parallel horny 



: 



We now proceed to giv* some account of the species of Jihixoccrot : 

 R. /nc/tciu (R. tmicomu, Lion.) has a single horn on the nose. 



likinoceroi Indicta, 



Khinoctrot Indhvt. 



The species inhabit* the East Indies, especially beyond the Ganges. 

 It is recorded as having been found in Bengal, Siam, and Cochin- 

 China. Shady forest*, the neighbourhood of rivers, and marshy 

 places are favourite localities. Their ordinary food consist* of herbage 

 and the branches of trees. The flesh is said to be not unpalatable. 

 Our figure was taken from an animal which was living in the garden 

 of the Zoological Society, but the horn was taken from a perfect speci- 

 men ; for the animal, though a fine one, and in excellent general 



