THE RHINOCEROS. 341 



the Limpopo, says: "The country now literally presented the 

 appearance of a menagerie ; the host of rhinoceros in particular 

 that daily exhibited themselves, almost exceeding belief. Whilst 

 the camp was being formed an ugly head might be seen protruded 

 from every bush, and the possession of the ground was often 

 stoutly disputed. In the field these animals lost no opportunity 

 of rendering themselves obnoxious — frequently charging at my 

 elbow, when in the act of drawing the trigger at some other 

 object — and pursuing our horses with indefatigable and ludicrous 

 industry, carrying their noses close to the ground, moving with a 

 mincing gait, which ill-beseemed so ungainly and ponderous a 

 quadruped, and uttering the while a sound between a grunt and 

 a smothered whistle. In removing the horn with an axe, the 

 brain was discovered, seated in a cavity below it, at the very 

 extremity of the snout — a phenomenon in the idiosyncrasy of this 

 animal, which may in some measure account for its want of 

 intelligence, and piggish obstinacy, as well as for the extraordinary 

 acuteness of smell with which it is endowed. Irrascible beyond 

 all other quadrupeds, the African rhinoceros appears subject even 

 to unprovoked paroxysms of reckless fury; but the sphere of 

 vision is so exceedingly limited, that its attacks, although sudden 

 and impetuous, are easily eluded, and a shot behind the shoulder, 

 discharged from the distance of twenty or thirty yards, generally 

 proves fatal." 



Dr. Livingstone describes this animal as possessing a more 

 savage nature than the white rhinoceros, and," he continues, 

 "like the ill-natured in general, is never found with an ounce of 

 fat in its body. From its greater fierceness and wariness, it holds 

 its place in a district much longer than its more timid and better- 

 conditioned neighbour. Mr. Oswell was once stalking two of 

 these beasts, and as they came slowly to him, he, knowing that 

 there is but little chance of hitting the small brain of this animal 

 by a shot in the head, lay expecting one of them to give his 

 shoulder, till he was within a few yards. The hunter then thought 

 that by making a rush to his side he might succeed in escaping, 

 but the rhinoceros, too quick for that, turned upon him, and 

 though he discharged his gun close to the animal's head he was 



