THE PACHYDERMS 67 



Known to the Boers as Zwart rhinoster, it is 

 called by the Abyssinians Orarisse, by the Swahilis 

 of East Africa Faru, by the Somalis Weel, by the 

 Zulus and Matabele Upejana and Umpeygan, and by 

 the Bechuanas Borele and Keitloa. 



It used to be supposed that different species or 

 sub-species of the black rhinoceros existed. This 

 idea has long since been exploded, and it is now well 

 ascertained that, although slight variation in the shape 

 and length of the horns may occur, only one species 

 of the common rhinoceros is found throughout the 

 length and breadth of Africa. 



The black rhinoceros stands, in occasional speci- 

 mens, as much as 5 feet 8 inches at the shoulder, 

 taken in a straight line, but average examples reach 

 little more than 5 feet 2 inches. In East Africa the 

 species seems to be somewhat less in stature than in 

 those found farther south. The fore-horn is usually, 

 as in the case of the white rhinoceros, much longer 

 than the posterior horn ; but even in the days when 

 these animals were as plentiful as pigs as they 

 actually were in places the fore-horns never attained 

 the magnificent proportions of those of the white 

 rhinoceros. The finest horn recorded from South 

 Africa x measures 3 feet 5 inches in length ; another 

 horn from East Africa reaches 3 feet 8 inches. 

 To outsiders it seems difficult to account for the 

 great demand that existed and still exists for rhino- 

 ceros horns a demand far exceeding the require- 

 ments of the ordinary trophy hunter or collector. 



1 Records of Big Gtme, Rowland Ward and Co. 

 VOL. II F 



