340 WILD ANIMALS 



This animal measures a little over twelve feet in length and 

 stands about five feet ten inches in height. The skin is smooth 

 and has none of the folds conspicuous in the large Asiatic 

 rhinoceros. In a limited extent these beasts are gregarious, for 

 they are frequently seen congregated in small herds. Their chief 

 food is grass. 



The nose is square, and supports two large, rounded horns. 

 The average length of the front one is about two and a half feet, 

 but is sometimes even a foot longer than these figures ; the other 

 one, however, hardly ever exceeds fifteen inches, and generally 

 measures a little under a foot in length. 



Both the white varieties of the rhinoceros attain an enormous 

 size. They feed on grass, and get very fat on it, and their flesh is 

 in consequence preferable to that of any of the other species, and con- 

 sidered by some hunters to be better than beef. They are of a milder 

 and more inoffensive disposition than the black varieties, and 

 are described as dangerous only under exceptional circumstances. 



These animals are found in the country south of the Zambesi, 

 but are gradually becoming scarce in certain districts. In the 

 Mopane country, Dr. Livingstone writes : " We observed the 

 foot-prints of a black rhinoceros (B. bicornis) and her calf. We 

 saw other foot-prints among the hills of Semalembue, but the 

 black rhinoceros is remarkably scarce in all the country north of 

 the Zambesi. The white rhinoceros' (B. simus, Burchell), or 

 Mohdhu of the Bechuanas, is quite extinct here, and will soon 

 become unknown in the country to the south. It feeds almost 

 entirely on grasses, and is of a timid, unsuspecting disposition : 

 this renders it an easy prey, and they are slaughtered without 

 mercy on the introduction of fire-arms. . . . The white rhinoceros ' 

 is not always quite safe, for one, even after it was mortally 

 wounded, attacked Mr. Oswell's horse, and thrust the horn through 

 to the saddle, tossing at the time both horse and rider. I once 

 saw a white rhinoceros give a buffalo which was gazing intently at 

 myself a poke in the chest, but it did not wound it, and seemed 

 only a hint to get out of the way." 



The black, or African rhinoceros (E. bicornis), is also a resident 

 of southern Africa. Captain Harris, writing about the vaUey of 



