RHINOCEROSES. 479 



escape, and he forthwith pulls the log from the trench in which it was buried. 

 This log, writes Sir S. Baker, " acts as a drag, and, by catching in the jungle and 

 the protruding roots of trees, it quickly fatigues him. On the following morning 

 the hunters discover the rhinoceros by the track of the log that has ploughed along 

 the ground, and the animal is killed by lances or by the sword." 



The same writer adds that the hide of a rhinoceros will produce seven 

 shields ; these being worth about two dollars each, as simple hide before manufacture. 

 The horn is sold in Abyssinia for about two dollars per pound, for the manufacture 

 of sword-hilts, which are much esteemed if of this material. In South Africa the 

 flesh of the common rhinoceros is much appreciated by the natives as food ; but as 

 the animal never has any fat, the meat is somewhat dry. 



Like other members of the genus, this rhinoceros appears to be long-lived 

 even in captivity, a specimen from Nubia, acquired by the Zoological Society of 

 London in 1868, having lived in the menagerie till 1891. 



Extinct All ^^ e i mme di a te ancestor of this species appears to have been the 



extinct thick-jawed rhinoceros (R. pachygnathus), of which a series 

 of finely-preserved remains have been obtained from the well-known fresh-water 

 deposits of Pikermi, near Attica, belonging to the Pliocene period. 



Burchell's The largest of the group is the square-mouthed, or Burchell's, 



Rhinoceros, rhinoceros (R. simus), commonly known as the white rhinoceros, 

 which is now, alas, practically exterminated. In addition to its great size, this 

 species is characterised by its bluntly -truncated muzzle and the absence of a 

 prehensile extremity to the upper lip, as well as by the great proportionate length 

 of the head, which in large specimens is more than a. foot longer than in the 

 common species. Moreover, the nostrils form long narrow slits ; the eye is placed 

 entirely behind the line of the second horn ; and the ear is very long, sharply 

 pointed at the extremity, where it has but a very small tuft of hairs, and has its 

 lower portion completely closed for some distance, so as to form a tube. The front 

 horn attains a greater length than in the common species. In the skull the 

 extremity of the lower jaw forms a much wider and shallower channel than in 

 the R. bicornis, and the structure of the upper cheek-teeth is different. These 

 teeth resemble in general structure those of the great Indian rhinoceros, having 

 very tall crowns, with flat grinding surfaces, no distinct buttress at the front outer 

 angle, and the outer portion of the middle valley cut off by a partition. They are, 

 however, quite peculiar among existing species, in having a large amount of cement 

 investing the interior and filling up the valleys of the crown. Moreover, the third 

 molar in the upper jaw, instead of being triangular in shape, closely resembles the 

 tooth in front of it; a peculiarity found elsewhere only among certain extinct 

 hornless species. In colour Burchell's rhinoceros differs but little from the common 

 species, the general hue of both being a slaty grey. 



In height this rhinoceros is known to reach 6J feet at the 

 Dimensions. , , , . /. i -LA j i. t 



shoulder, and it is said that specimens were formerly obtained which 



slightly exceeded these dimensions. As regards length, our information is far from 

 satisfactory. It has been stated that the length may be something between 18 and 

 19 feet; but this seems quite incredible, more especially as the proportions of our 

 figure indicate that the length was rather more than double the height, which 



