RHINOCEROS 



The horn of the rhinoceros is of a very remarkable 

 structure, being composed of agglutinated hair, having no 

 bony core but growing from the skin, which is immensely 

 thick over the nose, and when the horn was torn off it left 

 the smooth bony portion of the nasal bones bare and fully 

 exposed. The animal bled very much at the time, but 

 the bone becoming thickly covered with the dried exuded 

 blood, the place soon healed, and in the course of a few 

 months a new horn commenced to be developed. 



I may mention another instance : a female rhinoceros 

 in her constant endeavour to tear down the iron fence 

 caused the horn to grow forward, so as to project beyond 

 the nose, consequently the animal had great difficulty in 

 feeding off the ground by reason of the horn coming in 

 contact with it first. Consequently I determined to saw 

 it off. The animal became comparatively sociable and 

 friendly, allowing me to rub her eyes with my hand, and 

 at the same time I practised with a walking-stick the 

 process of sawing the horn. This performance I continued 

 to go through on several mornings. Finding she sub- 

 mitted gently to this treatment I went one morning 

 prepared with a sharp saw, and, with the aid of one of 

 the keepers, who smoothed her eye in order to keep it 

 closed, I commenced to saw off the horn, which I very 

 effectually accomplished in about ten minutes, during 

 which time she remained perfectly quiet. I have kept 

 this horn, and, although it has got very dry, it weighs 

 11 lbs., and measures 15 in. in length. 



Upon another occasion the hairy-eared, two-horned 

 rhinoceros {B. lasiotis), in consequence of constantly 

 driving one of her horns against the bars of her cage, 

 she caused it, in growing, to curve backwards until the 

 point was in the act of forcing its v/ay through the skin, 

 causing it to become ulcerated. In this case I had much 



65 F 



