THE EHINOOBROS. 323 



IS not only useful in curing a person who may be its yictim; but 

 efficacious in detecting its presence. Indian rulers have for centuries 

 used drinking-cups made of it, under the notion that " it sweats at 

 the approach of any kind of poison whatever." Upon this subject 

 Thunberg writes : " It is generally believed that goblets made of the 

 horns, in a turner's lathe, will discover any poisonous draught that 

 is put into them by making the liquor ferment till it runs quite out 

 of the goblet. Such goblets are frequently set in gold and silver, 

 and are regarded as suitable presents to .kings, persons of distinc- 

 tion, and particular friends ; or else they are sold at a high price, 

 sometimes at the rate of fifty-six dollars a goblet. When I tried 

 these horns, both wrought and unwrought — both old and young 

 horns — with several sorts of poison, weak as well as strong, I 

 observed not the least motion or efEervescence ; and when a 

 solution of corrosive sublimate, or other similar substance, was 

 poured into one of these horns there arose only a few bubbles, 

 produced by the air that had been enclosed in the pores of the 

 horn, and which was now disengaged from them." 



The horn is a very remarkable structure, for it is not a bony 

 formation like the horns of deer, antelope, or oxen, but is com- 

 posed simply of agglutinated hairy filaments, rigidly compressed 

 into a dense substance. When this fact is taken into account, 

 its weight appears astonishing. The tip becomes polished and 

 smooth from use. The animal employs this weapon to dig up 

 roots and loosen things in the earth that it may require for its 

 sustenance. 



All natural history books describe the horn as being employed 

 also for a weapon of offence or defence, and the way in which it 

 is attached to the head — namely, in such a manner that it has no 

 direct connection with the skull, is said to be a beautiful arrange- 

 ment of nature to prevent the injurious consequences to the brain 

 that might otherwise result from- the violent concussions it would 

 undoubtedly be subject to when so used. 



Of all large animals the rhinoceroses in their wild state are the 

 ones about which there exists the smallest amount of information. 

 The salient features of their appearance, peculiarities, and 

 habits have been frequently described, but there is ample room 



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