The Black Rhinoceros 



Length in straight 



Length 



Sportsman's 



tm* 



.Si 



the shoulder. 



Length 



Basal 



T? 



Basal 



10 ft. I in. 

 10 „ 3 » 



2 ft. I in. 



2 „ 3 » 



13 ft. i in. 

 13 » 4 ,, 



5 ft. 7? in. 

 5 ft- «i „ 



5 ft. . in. 

 5 ft- 2 „ 



8 ft. 1 1 in. 



9 » 2 » 



32^ i„. 



2°3 ,, 



22 „ 



19 in. 

 9*„ 



I Si in. 



Up to a certain point all sportsmen are agreed as to the character of 

 this pachyderm. He is irritable, nervous, inquisitive, and churlish ; unwary 

 and wanting intelligence ; harsh and coarse by nature as the thorny 

 vegetation he feeds upon ; unsympathetic as the dry, arid districts in which 

 he lives. But when his acts under greater or less provocation are discussed, 

 opinions differ. No doubt, much has been written by those whose experience 

 of the animals has not been sufficient to qualify them to do so authoritatively ; 

 hence, from the conduct of a few, certain conclusions regarding rhinoceroses 

 generally, have been arrived at, which wider experience would falsify. On 

 the other hand, we have the testimony of the late Mr. W. Cotton Oswell, 

 Mr. F. C. Selous, and Mr. F. J. Jackson, — the result of wide experience, 

 — and even these differ. The former hunted the rhino in the days of 

 muzzle -loading smooth-bores, before it had learned what a formidable 

 enemy man is, and he naturally found it a morose, fierce- dispositioned 

 creature, from which he had many narrow escapes. Mr. Selous urges that 

 " the danger of hunting him has been much exaggerated," and that he is 

 rather of a cowardly disposition, although not by any means sweet-tempered. 

 Mr. F. J. Jackson says : " There is no knowing what rhinos will do when 

 shot at and wounded," and though not thinking them very dangerous beasts, 

 he has great respect for them, uses heavy rifles against them, has had very 

 exciting encounters with them, and has several times been viciously charged 

 by them. Colonel F. D. Lugard gives similar testimony, and relates how 

 Captain Williams was actually hunted by one. From this, I think we 

 may conclude that, although naturally timid, and certainly not dangerously 



