154 Anecdotal Natural history. 



at once sets out for the nearest pool, in order to slake 

 his thirst before prosecuting his search for food. 



This he generally finds in various roots, which he 

 ploughs out of the ground by means of the powerful 

 horns, and also in the young shoots of the ' wait-a-bit ' 

 thorn. Clumsy as it is in appearance, this rhinoceros 

 is yet active and agile to a wonderful degree, possess- 

 ing considerable speed, and severely trying the powers 

 even of a good horse when attempting to escape from 

 its furious onslaught. 



Another well-known African species is the Keitloa 

 or Sloan's Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros keitloa), which may 

 be readily distinguished from the borele by its horns, 

 which are of considerable and almost equal length. 

 It is altogether a larger animal than the preceding, 

 and is, if anything, even more to be dreaded as a foe, 

 owing to its superior strength and length of horn. 



Both the borele and the keitloa are black in 

 colour ; there are, however, two African species of rhi- 

 noceros in which the colour of the skin is a greyish 

 white. 



The first and more abundant of these is the common 

 White Rhinoceros, or Muchuco, as it is termed by the 

 natives {Rhinoceros simus\ which differs considerably in 

 appearance from the two above-described species. 

 Setting upon one side the colour of the skin, the chief 

 differences may be summed up as follows. The muzzle 

 is square instead of pointed, the head is elongated, 

 and the anterior horn attains to considerable dimen- 

 sions, three feet being by no means an uncommon 

 length. The second horn, however, is of far lesser 

 size, and closely resembles that of the borele. 



In disposition, also, the animal is very different, 

 being as mild and peaceable as the borele and the 

 keitloa are fierce and savage. Even when attacked it 

 seldom assumes the offensive, but generally seeks 



