THE ZooLocist—May, 1872. 3057 
Arrival of a Sumatran Rhinoceros in the Zoological Gardens. 
By Epwarp NEWMAN. 
THE arrival of a third species of rhinoceros at the Gardens of 
the Zoological Society is an event of no small interest. The 
Society already possessed three specimens of rhinoceros: one, the 
smallest, is the Rhinoceros bicornis of Linnzus, a native of Africa; 
and the other two are the large Indian species, Rhinoceros 
unicornis of Linneus. 
A very interesting question has arisen, whether this last, a huge 
and powerful animal, is not the Unicorn of Scripture, Monoceros of 
the Greeks, and the Unicornis of the Latins: the suggestion is very 
reasonable, and well worthy of investigation. Stupendous strength 
is the constant attribute of the Unicorn as it is of the rhinoceros. 
We read, in the Book of Numbers xxiii. 22, that by way of exalting 
the power of the Almighty, it is written, “‘ God brought them out 
of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of an Unicorn.” I think 
it is evident that the Unicorn was the most powerful animal known, 
or this comparison would have no signification. A very beautiful 
passage in the Book of Job (xxxix. 9—12) shows that the Unicorn 
was not only an undomesticated animal, but an animal that could 
not be domesticated; and the contrast with domestic cattle gives 
its force and beauty to the passage. 
“9. Will the Unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy 
crib. 
“10. Canst thou bind the Unicorn with his band in the furrow ? 
or will he harrow the valleys after thee? 
“11. Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt 
thou leave thy labour to him? 
“12, Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, 
and gather it into thy barn?” 
Notwithstanding this passage, commentators have frequently 
insisted on the identity of the Unicorn with the bullock or some 
species of Bos, using as an argument that horns in the plural are 
sometimes mentioned ; but the animal now for the first time brought 
into England has two horns, and this animal is undoubtedly Asiatic, 
though distant from Palestine, and we may continually observe that 
distance magnifies an object to the mind’s eye just as a fog mag- 
nifies it to the natural eye. And though there are passages that 
