RHINOCEROSES. 4 g 3 



as already mentioned, sometimes considerably more were seen together. Although, 

 as we have seen, there is some difference of opinion as to the temper and 

 disposition of the other species, all sportsmen agree that Burchell's rhinoceros was 

 generally a harmless and inoffensive creature. Still, sometimes it would when 

 wounded make a charge ; and from the enormous size of the animal such a charge 

 was a serious matter for those against whom it was directed. On one occasion 

 Mr. Oswell caught sight of one of these rhinoceroses, and, putting spurs to his 

 horse, soon came up alongside. He fired with good effect, but the animal, instead 

 of attempting to escape, eyed its adversary for a moment, and then deliberately 

 advancing, made a sudden rush at his horse, thrusting the long front horn 

 completely through the animal's body, so that the point of the weapon struck the 

 rider's leg through the flap of the saddle on the other side. Fortunately, Mr. 

 Oswell was so little injured, that he was enabled to disengage himself from the 

 body of his dead horse, and kill his formidable opponent. 



When shot through the heart or both lungs this rhinoceros, like the other 

 species, Mr. Selous tells us, is quickly killed. If, however, the bullet penetrates but 

 one lung, they will go on for miles, although blood may be streaming from their 

 mouth and nose. Similarly, they will hold on their course, at first at a gallop and 

 then at a trot, with a broken shoulder, for more than a mile ; but a broken hind-leg 

 brings them immediately to a stop. The latter circumstance is somewhat at 

 variance with Sir S. Baker's account of hunting the common rhinoceros in the 

 Sudan, referred to on p. 478. 



Burchell's rhinoceros differed from the other African species in that during 

 the autumn and winter months, that is to say from March till August, it accumu- 

 lated an enormous quantity of fat ; and at such times its flesh is stated to have 

 been of excellent quality, somewhat resembling beef, but with a peculiar and 

 characteristic flavour of its own. The favourite dish was the hump on the withers, 

 which was cut out and cooked with the skin on in a hole in the ground. The 

 flesh of the calf was excellent at any season, and has been compared to very 

 tender veal. 



Hoimwoods Certain very remarkable front horns of a rhinoceros obtained 



Rhinoceros. from traders at Zanzibar, and doubtless belonging to an East African 

 form, may possibly indicate a third species, which may be known as Holmwood's 

 rhinoceros. These horns, one of which measures 42 inches, are characterised by 

 their great length and slenderness, coupled with the small size of the base. It has 

 been suggested that they are abnormal horns of the female of the common species, 

 but it is quite probable that they belong to a totally different animal, which may 

 be more nearly allied to Burchell's rhinoceros. 



Extinct Rhinoceroses. 



In the course of the preceding paragraphs, some reference has been made to 

 certain extinct species of rhinoceroses which approximate closely to some of the 

 existing members of the group. Besides these, there are, however, a multitude of 

 extinct species, which ranged not only over Europe and Asia, but likewise North 

 America. It has, indeed, been suggested that America was the original home of 



