352 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



difficulties of carrying such heavy and clumsy specimens so 

 far, especially through foodless country. It rode on top of 

 one of the pack-donkeys between its two loads of meal, where 

 it was carefully tied every morning, all the way to Mombasa, 

 and eventually reached this country safely. As, however, it 

 was not thought of any particular interest in London, while I 

 myself rather valued it, I did not think it worth while pre- 

 senting it to the British Museum, As already pointed out, 

 I am convinced that this rhinoceros is merely a small local 

 variety ; and, more than this, I am as positive as an unscientific 

 observer can be — who has merely studied animals in an 

 amateurish way in their native lands and is not qualified to 

 critically examine the portions of their tissues to be found in 

 museums — that there is only one species of rhinoceros in all 

 East Equatorial Africa. The skull of the particular individual 

 above alluded to is figured in conjunction with others. The 

 photograph also illustrates strikingly the various angles at 

 which the horns slope in different specimens. 



It naturally occurs to one to inquire why the rhinoceros 

 of these parts should be, as it certainly is, so much smaller 

 than those of the same species farther south ? At first I was 

 inclined to attribute the difference to the greater sterility of this 

 arid region affording less nutritious food. But why, then, 

 should it nourish such enormous elephants ? They are not 

 an under-sized race ; on the contrary, I believe them to be 

 among the largest, both in bulk of body and weight of tusks, 

 of their kind to be found in Africa. Thus it would almost 

 appear as if the conditions affected these two animals in inverse 

 proportion. For, judging by the dimensions given by that 

 reliable observer and renowned hunter, Mr. Selous, the rhino- 

 ceros of South Africa (I refer, of course, only to Rhinoceros bi- 

 cornis) attains a greater size than even the largest of the equatorial 

 representatives of the species, while (on the same authority) 

 the elephants of the south are undoubtedly of smaller average 

 stature. Here is a problem which our scientific authorities, 



