The Black Rhinoceros -r 



comparatively low and broad crowns, with a peculiar and characteristic 

 pattern, easy of recognition when once seen. The head is large and 

 massive, with a concave profile, small eyes, and the somewhat tubular erect 

 ears situated for back ; the upper lip being often pointed and prehensile. 

 The powerful limbs are relatively short for the size of the body, and each 

 toe bears a hoof-like nail of great breadth. The tail is thin and of medium 

 length ; and the skin, which may be divided into several partially distinct 

 shields by deep folds, is of great thickness, and is either nearly naked, or 

 more or less sparsely covered with coarse hair. 



At the present day the group is restricted to Africa and the warmer 

 parts of Asia. In Africa it is represented by the widely-spread common 

 or black rhinoceros (R. /worms), the nearly extinct Burchell's, or white 

 rhinoceros (R. siim/s) of the Cape and south-eastern regions, and the little- 

 known Holmwood's rhinoceros (R. holwwoodi) of East Africa. All three 

 are distinguished from their Asiatic relatives by their smooth skins and 

 the absence of front teeth ; and all have two horns. Burchell's rhinoceros, 

 which is a grass-feeder, differs, however, very widely from the common 

 species in the structure of its cheek-teeth. Holmwood's rhinoceros is at 

 present known only by the horns and may prove not to be a distinct 

 form. 



The Black Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros bicornis) 



Zwaart Rhenoster of the Boers ; Upejana of the Zulus and 

 Matabele ; 'Sipejana of the Swazis and Matonga ; Borelc and 

 Keitloa of the Bechuanas ; Upelepe of the Basuto ; Chipambiri 

 of the Lower Zambesi Natives and Alomwe (P.E.A.) l 



The prehensile-lipped rhinoceros, as this beast may be termed, is in one 

 sense an antediluvian animal, the group to which it belongs having made 



