140 H. J. Rainey — On Sundarhan and Javanese and Wiinoceros. [June, 



one-horned Ehinoceros, which, however, I consider very probable." The 

 animal was described, in answer to one of the questions, as " not quite full 

 grown, the last molar not quite grown to the head of the stem." The 

 length of horn was given as 8^ inches, and the circumference at the base 19 

 inches. In reply to the question, whether the female had a horn or not, 

 the answer was " not known." 



As the above answers did not at all dispose of the question raised, I 

 addressed a letter to Meinherr W. P. Groenveldt, Secretary of the Batavian 

 Society of Arts and Sciences, in the early part of the current year, asking 

 to be informed positively, whether the single-horned Rhinoceros of Java 

 (Bh. Sondaicus, Miiller,) is provided with a horn or not. I also asked, 

 whether that species possessed a partially ossified septum narium or not. 

 His letter,* in reply to mine, I have just been favoured with, and as it is 

 concise and directly to the point, I may as well quote it at length. It runs 

 as follows : 



" Before replying to the question contained in your letter of January 

 " 4th, I have consulted two of my friends, Dr. Ploem and Dr. de Gavere, 

 " both experienced zoologists, and as their opinion quite agrees with my 

 " own experience, I think the following information may be regarded as 

 ^'jpositive. 



" The female of the Bliinoceros Sondaicus (we prefer calling it BJi. 

 " Javanicus, following the older name by Cuvier) is not provided with a 

 " horn, but has only a slight rugged protuberance on the skull bone, which 

 " is just visible on the skin too.f The natives say that the female also has 

 " a horn sometimes, but I suspect this to be nothing more than a greater 

 " development of the protuberance in aged specimens. 



" The septum narium is always partially ossified, but never to such a 

 " degree as in the fossil remains of the Bh. iicliorinus. In very aged speci- 

 " mens the nasal septum may be quite ossified, but I have never seen any, 

 " and, as far as I know, the ossification agrees with that of the other known 

 " species." 



There can now be hardly any doubt that, the one-horned Javanese 

 Rhinoceros and Sundarban Rhinoceros are of identical species, as asserted 

 by Blyth and other well known zoologists. 



The Peesident said — that the question of the specific distinctions be- 

 tween the different kinds of Rhinoceros had lately been investigated by 

 Professor Flower, in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1876, 



* Bearing date the 20th April, 1878. H. J. E. 



t In a photograph of a young female Sundarban Rhinoceros now before me, I 

 observe a prominence there, also. H. J. R. 



