RHINOCEROS. 37 



but in former times they were spread over all Europe, Asia, and 

 America. One of them (R. tichorhinus) } a native of Europe and 

 N. Asia, was invested with a coat of thick woolly hairs, just like 

 its contemporary, the Mammoth. Specimens of the following 

 species are exhibited on the left of the Saloon : 



The Indian Two-horned Rhinoceros (R. niger), a native of the 

 Malayan peninsula, one of the rarest of the genus. The Common 

 African Black Rhinoceros (R. bicornis), found all over Africa. It 

 is distinguished from the next species by its elongated and pre- 

 hensile upper lip, smaller size, and different habits. Its two horns 

 are very variable in length, the front one being generally much 

 the longer of the two, but in some specimens the posterior horn is 

 as long as or longer than the anterior ; these latter specimens are 

 often considered to be a distinct species, to which the name of 

 " Keitloa-" is given. 



The White Rhinoceros (R. simus) of S. Africa, with a square 

 upper lip, is a large species, of which no full-grown specimens 

 have ever been sent to England. Its anterior horn is very slender, 

 and has been found to attain to a length of four feet ; the animal 

 being of a mild and timid disposition, and feeding chiefly on grass, 

 uses its horn rarely, either for digging or for attack. This species 

 is becoming very scarce and in danger of being exterminated, 

 which is the more to be regretted, as from all accounts it was 

 capable of being tamed. A young mounted specimen is placed 

 near the R. bicornis. 



The large Indian Rhinoceros (R. unicornis), a one-horned species 

 from North-eastern India, of which a full-grown male is exhibited. 



On the tops of Wall-cases 45, 46, 53, and 54, is a series of 

 Rhinoceros horns representing variations of growth. 



The Tapirs (Tapirus) (Cases 35 and 36) are swamp-loving [Cases 

 animals, excellent swimmers and divers, of which one species occurs 35 & 36.J 

 in Malaysia and the others in Central and South America a 

 distribution which shows that at some former period of the 

 world's history they ranged all over the intervening countries, 

 through China, Kamtschatka, and North-west America. In fact 

 a fossil Chinese Tapir has been discovered in which the teeth 

 are so perfectly preserved as to show that the species can only 

 have become recently extinct. Of the five species of Tapir known 



