132 THE TEOTTING EHINO 



species. Occasionally the lower horn of the 

 African is straight, the white variety usually fur- 

 nishing the individual; and specimens have been 

 reported among the black variety in which the 

 lower horn even curved forwards. And in all 

 instances these horns may be powerful weapons of 

 defence; powerful enough to instil unconcealed 

 dread among elephants. 



Opinion among hunters differs as to just the 

 rank of the rhino as dangerous game ; Selous places 

 it fourth after lion, elephant, buffalo. I am ex- 

 pecting this year to have my first lion hunting 

 experience, but the royal tiger has never given me 

 so much the feeling of danger as has the elephant; 

 or the Malayan seladang* (gaur) or the rhino; and 

 no jungle in this world places the hunter at so 

 great a disadvantage as in Malaya, where the dense 

 matted cover necessitates shooting game at close 

 quarters. I have always fully realized that the 

 tiger, if he got to me, could and would do me more 

 damage in less time perhaps than any one of the 

 others; but also I always felt more confidence in 

 being able to stop him. The disturbing element 

 in hunting elephant or seladang or rhino, has been 

 always, to me at least, the feeling of uncertainty 

 as to whether or no I could stop the animal if I 



* Local name for wild cattle. 



