1867.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE RHINOCEROTID.«. 1003 



boldii on which Dr. Bowerbank made his observations, stating that 

 the bark was smooth and the polypes of an oblong form as in H. lu- 

 sitanicum. It is simply a specimen of the Japanese coral from which 

 the bark has been stripped off, and then again artificially attached 

 to the axis, the bark having lost its external granular coat in the 

 process, so that only the smooth inner layer of the bark is shown. 

 The external form of the polypes has been altered in the manipula- 

 tion ; and I am convinced, from the irregular form that they exhibit, 

 that if the specimen were soaked in water the animal would assume 

 its regular circular form, and be exactly like the animal of the other 

 Japanese specimen. I have seen some others similarly artificially 

 altered. They are very unlike the close, regular, oblong-shaped 

 animal of H. lusitanicum ; and I am convinced that if Dr. Bower- 

 bank had seen the type specimen of the latter before he wrote his 

 paper he would not have made such a mistake. 



11. Observations on the Preserved Specimens and Skeletons 

 of the RhinocerotidcB in the Collection of the British 

 Museum and Royal College of Surgeons, including the 

 Descriptions of Three New Species. By Dr. J. E. Gray, 

 F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., &c. 



The Rhinocerotes of Asia and Africa are known by the conforma- 

 tion of their jaws. The African species are easily distinguished by 

 the form of the head and of their nose-horns. The species of Asia, 

 on the other hand, are very difficult to separate from each other by 

 any external character, and are only to be characterized by the form 

 of their skulls and the locality which they inhabit, each zoological 

 district having a peculiar species ; and very probably there are yet 

 species to be described, as the Rhinoceroses of China, of Beloochistan, 

 and other countries have not been examined by zoologists. 



The British Museum contains a good series of preserved specimens 

 of this family, and a large series of skeletons, skulls, and horns ; 

 and there is also a very rich collection of skulls from different loca- 

 lities in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, — the two 

 collections affording good materials for the revision of the species of 

 this group. I have to thank the Council of the College of Surgeons, 

 and Mr. Flower, the energetic Curator of their Museum, for their 

 kindness in allowing me to examine the skulls in their collection. 



In the British Museum there are specimens of five species, viz. 

 one 11. unicornis and two R. jav aniens from Asia, and four speci- 

 mens from Africa (viz. two R. bicornis, one R. simus, and one R. 

 keitloa), the three latter species being the animals that were collected 

 and preserved under the superintendence of Sir Andrew Smith. 



The Indian species {R. unicornis) has been often figured from 

 life, amongst others by Dr. Parsons, in the 'Phil. Trans.' 1742, 

 1 743, t.\,2;R. sumatranus by Mr. Bell from life in the ' Philoso- 



