120 EINAR LONNBERG, MAMMALS COLLECTED BY THE SWEDISH ZOOLOGICAL EXPEDITION ETC. 



numerous in certain localities as well as on the southern side of the river below 

 Chanler Falls. In the dry country there numerous game paths lead to the river, and 

 in the dust of these paths the spoors of Rhinoceroses were a regular feature. Probably 

 many of these paths were just the products of the more or less regular walk of the 

 Rhinos between their pasture-lands and the water. In day-time the Rhinoceroses are 

 very seldom found near the river. As a rule they are met with at a distance of 

 from 5 to 8 kilometres, perhaps more, from the water. Their chief food appeared 

 to be a low scrub. They were found not only on the flat country but sometimes 

 on the mountain slopes in the bush among rocks and boulders where one hardly 

 could imagine that such a bulky and clumsy-looking animal would be able to find 

 its way. 



Here and there along the paths of these animals such places are seen where 

 they are used to deposit their droppings and then scatter them. Such places are 

 usually situated at a bush which as a rule has been broken and kicked to pieces, 

 and a big hole is scooped up in the ground. It is sometimes stated in the literature 

 that the scattering of the dung is done with the horn. Although I never have seen 

 a Rhino at work it appears to me quite clear that at least most of it is done with 

 the feet to judge from the deep furrows radiating from the hole and which exactly 

 fit to the breadth of feet and in which even toe marks may be seen. 



It is very difficult to explain how such a habit could have originated and be- 

 come fixed, for it can impossibly be in any way useful to the animal now and thus 

 be explained by natural selection. It might, however, be an inheritance. 



The propagation of the Rhinoceros is, of course, slow, as usually is the case 

 with such big animals, and it takes a long time before they reach full development. 

 The fact that female Rhinoceroses often were seen in company with their not far 

 from fullgrown young proves that several years pass between each period of gravidity* 

 or parturition. On the other hand it is evident that the female Rhinoceroses in the 

 districts visited do not suffer from barrenness because as a rule they were accom- 

 panied by a more or less grown up young. Sexual maturity is reached before the 

 last molar has cut the gum as can be concluded from the fact that this tooth was 

 not fully developed in a female which Mr. Sjogeen shot south of Guaso Nyiri and 

 which was followed by a good sized calf. On the other hand, a male Rhinoceros 

 (PI. VII, fig. 2) with only six cheek-teeth in use had comparatively very small testicles 

 in which no ripe sperms were found, and it was thus not yet sexually mature. This 

 animal measured from snout to vent in a straight line about 255 cm. (about 8^3 

 English feet) or 295 cm. along the dorsal line. Its exact age is difficult to tell but 

 it was probably several years old. It had hke all other Rhinocerosss observed at 

 close quarters numerous scars and ulcers (conf. the fig.) along the flanks. If those 

 are obtained when the animals fight inter se or not is impossible to say, but it is 

 most, probable because hardly any other animal would dare to attack them, and the 

 skin is too hard and thick to be deeply scratched by the thornbush. The Rhino- 

 ceroses were found to be infested by ticks of the species Hyalomma cegyptium (L.), 



