142 



Zoological Society : — 



are of a deep purplish chocolate, irregularly blotched and freckled 

 with a darker colour. 



The uest and eggs are deposited in the national collection at the 

 British Museum. 



Notice of a presumed New Species of Rhinoceros, 



FROM South Africa. 



B^ J. E. Gray, Ph.D., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., P.B.S. etc. 



Colonel Thomas Steele having most kindly presented to the Bri- 

 tish Museum a pair of horns of a two-horned Rhinoceros, which was 

 discovered in the interior of South Africa by his friend Mr. Oswell, 

 Dr. Gray exhibited the horns ; and having pointed out the pecu- 

 liarity of their form, proposed that they should be provisionally de- 

 scribed as belonging to a new species, under the name of Rhinoceros 

 Oswellii. 



The front horn is elongated and thick ; but instead of being bent 

 back, as is the general character of R. bicornis, or erect, as in R. si- 

 vms, is bent forwards, so that the upper surface is worn flat by being 

 rubbed against the ground. The front horn in the pair exhibited 

 was 31 inches long, flat, square, rough and fibrous iu front, rounded 

 and smooth behind. The hinder horn was short, conical and sub- 

 quadrangular ; it was 1 1 inches in length. 



Dr. Gray stated that the British Museum possesses a second speci- 

 men of a front horn, of a similar curve and form, with a similarly 

 worn front top, of a rather larger size. This formerly belonged to 

 Sir Hans Sloane's Collection ; so that this species, like R. sitrnts, must 

 have been known to the older travellers. 



