BLA CK RHINOCEROS 3 1 



they are difficult to stop ; and, in my opinion, heavy metal should be 

 used, while the sportsman should either kneel or squat down in order 

 to put a bullet in the chest or throat. The most sportsmanlike 

 method of shooting is by ' spooring ' them from their drinking-holes, 

 when water should always be carried. Even if disturbed once or 

 twice, they do not go far before halting; and if they are lying -up 

 in thick covert, native attendants can be sent in at the far end to 

 drive them out. They invariably break covert at or near the spot 

 where they entered ; and this point should be guarded by the sports- 

 man. Following them in thick covert is exciting but somewhat 

 unsatisfactory work, as the sportsman must get to close quarters in 

 order to obtain a shot, and is almost certain to be heard before this 

 can be accomplished." 



Mr. A. H. Neumann, in recording his experiences in British East 

 Africa, observes that in " East Africa the black rhinoceros seems to 

 become smaller as we go north, an adult bull from Naivasha standing 

 5 feet 5 inches in height, and measuring in length 12 feet i inch, 

 exclusive of the tail ; while one from the Seya river stood 5 feet 

 3 inches, and measured I o feet in length ; and a third from Lake 

 Rudolf stood only 4 feet 9 inches, with a length of 9 feet. In the 

 vast majority the horns are short, under a foot in length, any over 

 1 8 inches being uncommon, while a length of 30 inches or upwards 

 is extremely rare. 



" In some places rhinoceroses are very common ; so much so that 

 one may often see many in one day, where the country is sufficiently 

 open, while merely travelling through. They do not, like elephants, 

 confine themselves to thick bush ; nor, except where much persecuted 

 by natives, are they careful to conceal themselves during the daytime. 

 Moreover, though probably in the aggregate less numerous than 

 elephants, they live scattered over the country in pairs or singly, 

 sometimes three, and rarely four being found together, but never 

 more ; and since they keep pretty much, as a rule, to the particular 

 area forming their own haunts, and do not migrate from one district 

 to another, after the fashion of elephants, they are more in evidence 

 than the latter. 



" It is a mistake to suppose that rhinoceroses have any tendency 

 to sub-aquatic habits. A wet climate disagrees with them, and during 

 the rains they are always in poor condition, and generally have sores 

 on their bodies. This appears to be the reason that there are so few 

 rhinoceroses in West Central Africa, and that they are scarce in those 

 parts of East Africa where the rainfall is greatest. The dry barren 



