54 ELEPHANT-HUNTJNG IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



by going after her. I stalked up near, and getting a good 

 opening gave her a shot in the usual place. She ran off but 

 soon stood, and as I wanted to make sure of her I gave her 

 the second barrel (though it was really not needed) also in the 

 right spot. She then ran only a few yards farther and dropped. 

 Her horn was far more magnificent even than I had thought 

 when examining it through my glasses. It measured fully 

 forty inches round the curve and was beautifully tapered 

 and symmetrical. This was not only by far the longest I had 

 ever shot but considerably longer than any (belonging to this 

 species) I had had the opportunity of measuring, thirty-five inches 

 being the best measurement I had, up to then, myself verified.^ 

 The latter had been a much straighter and thicker one, 

 apparently of a male. I was no longer sorry for having been 

 compelled to wait. As there seem to be some points with 

 regard to the rhinos of this part of Africa on which differences 

 of opinion exist (judging from letters that have at different 

 times appeared in the Field on the subject and observations I 

 have heard), I will, later on, endeavour to add my mite to the 

 information on the subject as the result of my own personal 

 experiences and observations. 



But first let me finish the account of this day's work, 

 which was to be an exceptionally lucky one. After sending 

 back to camp for men to come and carry the meat, with 

 orders that it was to be cut up and dried for future use, the 

 guide having turned up we went on. It seemed that the 

 elephants reported as being in this cover yesterday had not 

 stopped, nor were any about now ; indeed it was hardly to be 

 expected that these intelligent beasts would harbour here now 



^ This horn (I say advisedly the horn, for the animal which bore it was indistinguish- 

 able from any other of the numerous rhinoceroses of the district which differ in no respect 

 from the typical R. biconiis) ought perhaps to be classed as R. holmwoodi ; but I have 

 a shrewd suspicion that the range of that interesting species is limited to the bazaars 

 of Zanzibar. I have since seen a more striking specimen still, with a double bend — 

 first back, then forward — which measured 485 inches along the curve. A photo- 

 graph in which the first-mentioned horn is shown, together with others, will be found 

 on p. 353. 



