EhinocekidvE. ^MAJIWALIA.— — Ruoocekid^e. 



185 



however, after the beast had run forty or fifty paces, 

 he suddenly stopped sliort, and looked roimd. Tlie 

 'avourable opportunity was not lost; for one of tlie 



party, more courageous than the rest, instantly fii'ed, 

 and, as good luck woidd have it, brought the animal lo 

 the gi'oiuid with his terror-stricken rider cHnging to 



Fig. 70. 



E.^:^^!,^^-- 



BincheH's Rhinoceros fRliinncoros simus). 



his back." The same distinguished traveller remarks, 

 that when the Rhinoceros is shot, it usually I'alls fur- 

 ward on the knees, and not on its sides — a result which 

 seems explicable from the great breadth of the body 

 combuicd with shortness of the limbs. The Gargatan 

 feeds on the shoots, roots, and young branches of the 

 wait-a-bit thorn. 



SLOAN'S EHINOCEEOS [Rhinoceros Kcitloa) is better 

 I;no^\^l as the Keitloa, and easily distinguished by 

 its horns, which are nearly of equal length ; the anterior 

 horn being cylindrical, and curved backwards near 

 tlie tip ; the other compressed and almost sti'aight 

 throughout. The hide exliibits a brownish-yellow 

 colour, pretty closely resembling the above ; but there 

 is a black mark on the inside of the tliigh. Both 

 these species are commonly termed "black," in contra- 

 distinction to the two succeeding white species. The 

 Kcitloa is an extremely morose, siUky, and savage 

 beast, and when wounded becomes perfectly maddened 

 with rage. Mr. Andersson nearly lost his life by the 

 repeated attacks of a female, whose leg he had broken 

 l)y a shot. One of her horns ripped up his right thigh 

 from near the Imee to the hip ; and having sustained 

 at the same time severe bruises and internal injury, his 

 ultimate recovery was only effected after prolonged 

 and painful suffering. The Keitloa is very swift of 

 foot. Notwithstan.img their apparent ungaiuliness, 

 all the rliinoceroses possess the power of rapid pro- 

 gression to a greater or less extent. 



BUKCHELL'S EHINOCEROS [Ehinoceros simns) is 

 known as the White Ilhinoceros, or the Wilte Rhin- 



\'0L. I. 



asta- of the Capo Colonists ; being also termed the 

 Cliicore by the Matabili and Blonoohoo by the Bechu- 

 anas (fig. 70). It is distinguished from tlie foregoing, 

 not merely by the pale whitish-bro\vn colour of the 

 hide, but more partioidarly by the remarkable elonga- 

 tion of the head, which measuring about four feet from 

 the muzzle to the ears, nearly equals one-third of the 

 entire lengtli of the body ! It is also fm'tlier charac- 

 terized by a much greater buft and size, as compared 

 with the above; the nose being hkewise square-shaped. 

 The full-grown anterior horn is three feet in length, 

 sliarp at the point, and cur\'ed backwards. The dis- 

 position of this species is comparatively mild ; and, 

 unlike that of its black congeners, its food consists 

 entirely of gi'asscs. 



OSWELL'S EHINOCEEOS {Rhinoceros Oswellii) was, 

 in the first instance, scientifically indicated as a distinct 

 species by Dr. J. E. Gray of the British Museum. By 

 the Bechuanas it is termed the Kohaaha. In point 

 of size and general appearance, this animal closely 

 resembles tlie foregoing ; but, observes Mr. Andersson, 

 " it is with regard to their horns that the two species 

 chiefly differ from each other ; for wliilst the anterior 

 horn of the nionoohoo has an average length of two or 

 three feet, curving backward, that of the Kobaaba not 

 uiifrequently exceeds four feet, and is slightly pointed 

 forward, incluiing from the snout at an angle of forty- 

 five degrees. This rliuioceros is also the rarer of the 

 two, and is only foimd in the more interior parts of 

 South Africa." The posterior horn is about a foot long, 

 short, conical, broad at the base, and nan-ow at the 



2 A 



