THE RHINOCEROS. 147 



animal takes alarm, pricks its ears, rises up, and 

 listens, that is, if lie is not asleep, for his sleep 

 is very heavy. 



This has been contradicted, but Sparrman relates 

 as follows : " Two of our Hottentot marksmen per- 

 ceived through the bushes, at a distance of three or four 

 yards, a rhinoceros, lying on his right side, and 

 sleeping so profoundly, that he did not wake up 

 even at the loud noise which they made by chance 

 in striking the guns one against the other. Their 

 first movement was to take aim at him; but as 

 he did not awake, and as they could only see the 

 back part of his body, after a short consultation 

 they made a circuit, and placing themselves in a 

 position to point their guns towards the animal's 

 head, they discharged their two barrels at once into 

 his brisket.. 



" As the animal struggled somewhat feebly, they had 

 little fear that he would as yet wake up and pursue 

 them; then, as much for their amusement as pre- 

 caution, they recharged their guns and fired several 

 balls into him." 



Le Vaillant says that two rhinoceroses had stopped 

 side by side in a plain at a little distance from his 

 camp ; he started at once, accompanied by his men. 



" One of the two being much larger than the 

 other, I took them to be male and female. 



L 2 



