i 7 4 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



as the striker of the Martini carbine was out of order, and 

 would not explode a single cartridge. The last two shots 

 seemed to waken it up pretty considerably, as it travelled 

 some distance before we again overhauled it. We had 

 some difficulty on this occasion in finding the tracks, as it 

 had entered a stream and waded down for a considerable 

 distance. We now found that the rhino was heading back 

 in the direction from which it had come, and we could dis- 

 tinctly hear our camp-followers talking and laughing in the 

 hollow below, and some of them now joined us in trying to 

 find the lost tracks. 



While we were thus scattered about up and down stream 

 examining the ground, my attention was suddenly drawn by 

 Moung Hpe to the rhino, which was standing with heaving 

 flanks on the bank of the stream, within ten paces of a rock 

 upon which I had climbed. I could see from its stertorous 

 breathing that the poor beast was done for and quite helpless, 

 so wading quietly up to within a yard or two I fired behind 

 the shoulder, aiming for the heart. The rhino stood motion- 

 less for about four seconds, and then sank dead on to its 

 knees, with a long-drawn sigh. 



On examination I found that it was a female, and that 

 only one of my two first shots had taken effect, but this one 

 had gone clean through the head, and only missed the brain 

 by a very narrow margin. 



The rhino was 4 feet 6 inches from heel to shoulder, 

 measured between uprights, and had two distinct horns, the 

 front one about 4 inches in length, and the hinder one a 

 mere horny protuberance. 



In the male the front horn varies from 6 to 12 inches. The 

 folds were much less marked than in the one-horned species, 

 and commenced behind the shoulders, continuing across the 

 back ; there was also a slight overlapping of the skin on 

 the posterior. The colour of the skin approached a light 

 earthy brown ; the ears had a long hairy fringe, but were 

 naked inside. 



The male rhinoceros, according to Burman hunters, consort 

 with the females about the middle and end of the rain. 



On another occasion I saw three animals within the space 



