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CHAPTER XIII 



THE RHINOCEROS 

 BY F. J. JACKSON 7 



MR. F. C. SELOUS has proved beyond a doubt that there is 

 only one species of the so-called black rhinoceros (. bicornis) 

 in South Africa, and his arguments apply equally to the East 

 African beast. There can be no doubt that the range of this 

 beast extends from the Soudan to South Africa, and that there 

 is only one distinct species of prehensile-lipped rhinoceros 

 known throughout Africa. If the classification of the black 

 rhinoceros depended on the comparative size of the horns (and 

 this appears to have been the principal basis of former argu- 

 ments), then there would certainly be no difficulty in making 

 two or even more species. Adult rhinoceroses are to be found 

 in East Africa (and perhaps there is no place where they 

 exist in greater numbers at the present day), varying in size, 

 temperament, and in the length and shape of their horns. I 

 have myself shot them with almost every variety of horns, 

 from a beast with front horn 27 ins. and second horn only 

 9 ins. in length, to one with front horn 21 ins. and the 

 other horn 22 ins. in length. The latter specimen, together 

 with the one in the illustration, answers to the so-called species 

 R. Keitloa. 



Few beasts, if any, vary so much in temperament as rhino- 

 ceroses, and no rule can be laid down as to their general 

 behaviour, though in most cases they will retreat before the 

 presence of man. Personally, I consider the ' kifaru ' (Swahili 



