THE RHINOCEROS 265 



their heads, the sides of their necks, and front of their shoulders. 

 It is quite evident that they held their heads low throughout 

 the encounter on purpose to protect their throats, the softest, 

 and perhaps most vulnerable, parts of their bodies. In this 

 case, as also in the other fight I witnessed, one beast was 

 wounded, and was attacked by an unwounded one. 



I think there can be little doubt that when rhinoceroses 

 do fight, it is in a most determined and dogged manner, though 

 it is highly improbable that they ever kill each other. I once 

 shot a rhino which was terribly scored about the face and 

 neck, with several of the abrasions still bleeding. As the grass 

 had been quite lately burnt I followed back on its spoor, which 

 was very distinct, and came to the spot where it had fought with 

 another rhino. The ground for a space of 30 yards showed 

 unmistakable signs of the severe and evidently prolonged com- 

 bat. It was cut up, and loose stones a foot or more in diameter 

 displaced and scattered in all directions. One large boulder, 

 some 3-^ ft. high, near which the encounter seemed to have 

 been most severe, was smeared and splashed with blood. 

 Two or three times I have shot rhinoceroses with only one 

 ear, the other one most probably having been bitten off in a 

 fight. 



The following experience with a rhinoceros has the merit 

 of being a curious one, though attended by absolutely no 

 danger to myself. 



Having successfully stalked three rhinoceroses a bull, a cow, 

 and a three-parts-grown calf all standing together, I gave the 

 bull a shot behind the shoulder, which knocked him down. 

 I was so certain he was shot through the lungs, and would not 

 go far, that I did not fire again when he picked himself up and 

 galloped off. In this I was mistaken, as he went away across 

 the open plain apparently unhurt, the other two going off in 

 another direction. As I sat down on an ant-heap, feeling by 

 no means pleased with myself, I watched the bull for a long 

 time, and saw him pull up about two miles off and walk under 

 the shade of what I took at the distance to be a low bush, 



