RHINOCEROSES. 



477 



asserted that this applies to all. Mr. Selous states that he was only once charged 

 by a common rhinoceros, and this after strong provocation, and even then tin- 

 animal did not charge home ; and he considers that vicious individuals are com- 

 paratively few and far between. "These animals," writes the same observer, " are 

 very quick and restless in their movements, and either very inquisitive or mistrust- 

 ful of their eyesight, for usually, when disturbed by anyone approaching from below 

 the wind, they will jump up with a snort, gaze fixedly at the intruder, then, with 

 another snort, trot quickly a few steps nearer, stand again, move their heads with 

 a quick motion, first to one side then to the other, advance again perhaps, and 

 finally, when shouted at, whisk quickly round and trot away in grand style, with 

 tail screwed up over their backs." Recounting his experiences in Mashonaland, 

 where he sometimes met with five, six, or even eight in a day, Mr. Selous says 

 that whenever these animals met his wind, they invariably made off at once, but 

 when they only saw him, they acted in the manner above described. On occasions 

 of the latter kind the Kaffirs would take refuge up the nearest tree, and would urge 

 their master to do likewise. He, however, always stood his ground, and found that 

 although the rhinoceroses would sometimes advance in his direction from about 

 forty to twenty yards' distance, yet, that if he threw stones or assegais at them, or 

 even simply shouted, they always eventually turned tail and fled. If, however, a 

 rhinoceros is fired upon when thus facing a man, it will, after dropping upon its 

 knees, very often spring up and rush straight forwards ; but Mr. Selous attributes 

 such action not to any intention of making a charge, but merely to the animal 

 being maddened by the shock and rushing blindly ahead ; and he considers that 

 it is thus that many of the accounts of its fierceness and aggressiveness have 

 originated. He adds, however, that one of these animals when in full career, and 

 either wounded or tired, will not hesitate to charge any obstacle that may be in its 

 path, even a waggon and a team of oxen. Finally, Mr. Selous states that he believes 

 the pursuit of the common African rhinoceros to be attended with less danger than 

 that of either the lion, elephant,, or buffalo ; and he supports ' this opinion by 

 observing that both Kaffirs and Hottentots, who but seldom care to molest a lion, 

 never have the slightest hesitation in attacking a rhinoceros. The foregoing 

 account is confirmed in all essential particulars by Sir John Willoughby, who 

 suggests, however, that the rhinoceros is apt to be dangerous at certain seasons. 



In South-Eastern Africa Mr. Drummond states that both species of rhinoceros 

 generally leave their lairs about four o'clock in the afternoon, or, in districts where 

 there are many human beings, somewhat later. They commence feeding in the 

 direction of their drinking-places, to which they travel by regular beaten paths, 

 and arrive at the same somewhere about dark. If the drinking-place is a mud- 

 hole they frequently refresh themselves with a roll, after drinking their fill. They 

 then start for their favourite thorn feeding-grounds, where they remain till day- 

 break, when they generally again drink. At an earlier or later hour after this, the 

 time being to some extent dependent on the freedom of the district from human 

 intrusion, they retire to their sleeping-places, which they reach at any rate before 

 the heat of the day. The lair is always in an extremely sheltered and deeply- 

 shaded spot, and so heavily do they slumber that a practised stalker could almost 

 touch them with the muzzle of a gun, unless they are awakened by the birds which 



