Measurements of Rhinoceros 71 



blowing furiously. Look out for a fresh attack ! It 

 is terrible to be in the midst of vegetation so thick 

 that it prevents you being warned of danger except 

 through hearing. I send Roclzani up a tree to inspect 

 the surroundings. He sees the last-named rhinoceros 

 already at a great distance, and states that it is the 

 male which is making off, and that it must be the 

 female we have shot. But we are not long in finding 

 he is wrong, because blood that precious indication 

 for the hunter makes the pursuit of the first 

 rhinoceros, which I believe I have wounded seriously, 

 easy for us. After going one hundred yards he must 

 have lain down, but got on his feet again after a final 

 effort, to fall once more a little farther away. He has 

 fallen on his stomach, his four legs giving way under 

 him. Rhinoceros often fall in this way, probably 

 because they do not die on the spot, but continue to 

 walk until their legs refuse to carry them. 



It is really the male which we have killed. Here 

 are his measurements : withers, 5 feet 2 inches ; length 

 from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, 11 

 feet 1 inch ; diameter of the forefoot, 8 inches ; horns : 

 front, 2 feet 3 inches; back, 1 foot 5^ inches. The 

 measurements of the female, which was not long in 

 dying, are as follows : withers, 5 feet 4 inches ; tota] 

 length, 1 1 feet 2 inches ; diameter of foot, 8|- inches ; 

 horns : front, 1 foot 8|- inches ; back, 1 foot 3 inches. 

 It will be noticed that the female is larger than the 

 male, a peculiarity which often happens. 



Let us return to the male rhinoceros. After 

 measuring and photographing the body I leave two 



