138 MAMMALIA. 



reproduced in works on natural llistorJ^ Only tMs representation 

 of it is very inexact ; for Albert Durer had executed it after an 

 incorrect drawing sent him from Lisbon into Germany. During 

 the eighteenth century, a Rhinoceros was brought to Holland ; 

 two were taken to London at the end of the same century. The 

 menagerie at Versailles bought one of these last-named animals, 

 which Terj^ soon died, and was dissected by Mertrud and Vicq 

 d'AzjT. Since the beginning of our century, Europe has received 

 many of these gigantic and curious quadrupeds (but only of one 

 species until quite recently). 



The Great Indian Rhinoceros inhabits the regions situated 

 beyond the Ganges, and especially the valley of Opam, along the 

 base of the eastern Himalaya Mountains. It is more than three 

 metres in length and two metres in height. Its head is short and 

 triangular ; its mouth, of a moderate size, has an upper lip, which 

 is longer than the lower, pointed and movable. It has in each 

 jaw two strong incisive teeth. Its eyes are small ; its ears are 

 rather long and movable. The horn upon its nose is pointed, 

 conical, not compressed, sometimes two feet in length, and slightly 

 curved backwards. This singular weapon is composed of a 

 cluster of hairs closely adherent ; for when the point is blunted, 

 it is often seen divided into fibres resembling the hairs of a 

 brush. This horn is, however, very solid, hard, of a brownish 

 red on the outside, of a golden yellow inside, and black in 

 the centre. 



The neck of this animal is short and covered with folds and 

 creases. Its shoulders are thick-set and heavy ; its ponderous 

 body is covered with a skin remarkable for the deep wrinkles or 

 creases with which it is furrowed, backwards and across the fore- 

 quarters, and across the thighs. Thus, as it were, to all appear- 

 ance cut up into plaits of mail, the Great Indian Rhinoceros seems 

 to be covered with a cloak made for it. This cloak has, indeed, 

 been compared to a suit of armour of well adjusted pieces. The 

 hide is, however, so thick and hard that, without these creases 

 or folds, the animal, imprisoned, as it were, in its armour, could 

 scarcely move. It is of a dark colour, nearly bare, generally 

 provided onljr with a few coarse and stiff hairs on the tail and 

 ears, occasionalljr with curly woolly hairs on certain parts of the 

 body. 



