696 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1743. 



In some quadrupeds, the fetlock bends or yields to the weight of the animal ; 

 but in this there is no appearance of any such bending, and he seems to stand 

 on stumps, especially if he is viewed behind. He has three hoofs on each foot 

 forwards; but the back part is a large mass of flesh, rough like the rest of his 

 skin, and bears on the sole or bottom of his foot. This part is plump and cal- 

 lous in the surface, yielding to pressure from the softness of the subjacent flesh. 

 Its shape is like that of a heart, having a blunt apex before, and running back- 

 ward in a broad basis. The outline of the bottoms of the hoofs are somewhat 

 semicircular. 



The tail of this animal is very inconsiderable, in proportion to his bulk, not 

 exceeding 17 or 18 inches in length, and not very thick; it has a great rough- 

 ness round it, and a kind of twist or stricture towards the extremity, ending in 

 a fatness, which gave occasion to authors to compare it to a spatula. On the 

 sides of this flat part, a few hairs appear, which are black and strong, but 

 short. There is no other hair on any part of this young rhinoceros, except a 

 very small quantity, on the posterior edge of the upper parts of the ears. 

 There is a very particular quality in this creature, of listening to any noise or 

 rumour in the streets; for though he were eating, sleeping, or under the 

 greatest engagements nature imposes on him, he stops every thing suddenly, 

 and lifts up his head, with great attention, till the noise is over. 



The penis of the rhinoceros is of an extraordinary shape. There is first a 

 theca, or prseputium, arising from the inguinal part of the belly, nearly like 

 that of a horse, which conceals, as that does, the body and glans, when 

 retracted. As soon as the animal begins to extend it, the first thing that is 

 extruded, the theca, is a second sheath of a light flesh-colour, and pretty much 

 in form like the flower of the digitalis floribus purpureis; and then out of this 

 another hollow tube, which is analogous to the glans penis of other creatures, 

 very like the flower of the aristolochia floribus purpureis, but of a lighter or 

 fainter flesh-colour than the former. His keeper, who was a native of Bengal, 

 would make him thus emit his penis when he pleased, while he lay on the 

 ground, by rubbing his back and sides with straw ; and, in its utmost state of 

 erection, it never was extended to more than about 8 or 9 inches. Its termi- 

 nation is backward in a curved direction, so that he is a retromingent animal, 

 and consequently, retrogenerative. I have several times seen him staling: he 

 turns his tail to the wall, and, extending his hind legs asunder, crumps himself 

 up, and pushes his urine out in a full stream as far as a cow. 



Of the fen)ale rhinoceros that came over afterwards, it is unnecessary to say 

 more than that she was exactly like this in all respects, except the sex; and, by 

 the horn, and size, of the same age ; and the pudenda like those of a cow. 



