THE RHINOCEROS 



in killing only one was without "dundos," sore spots 

 of the size of a quarter or even a dollar. The natives 

 believe that these sores are caused by the rhinoceros- 

 birds. In spite of the almost constant activity of these 

 birds, which are frequently joined by ravens, the Rhi- 

 noceros hicornis is never found free from parasites, in 

 particular, ticks of all kinds, some of which, like the 

 dermacentor Rhinocerotis , depend entirely on the rhi- 

 noceros for their sustenance. 



I have never seen more than four "pharus" form- 

 ing a party, though I did see often as many as eight 

 animals at the same time, but not together. 



The rhinoceros has a phenomenal memory for places. 

 Every night during the dry season they cover enormous 

 distances on their way to the drinking-places. They 

 have the curious habit of always depositing their ex- 

 crement at the same place, scattering it with their 

 hind legs. These manure-patches, no doubt, serve the 

 animals as guide-posts, and also enable the hunter to 

 identify the animals by the composition of the excre- 

 ment. Their food consists entirely of the leaves, twigs, 

 and sometimes the roots of certain bushes and shrubs, 

 never of grass. 



The horns vary considerably both in shape and size. 

 The horns of the cows grow much longer and are, as 

 a rule, more compressed — often swordlike — than the 

 horns of bulls, which arc shorter and conical. The com- 

 mon, also called the black, rhinoceros has, as a rule, 

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