THE RHINOCEROS. 



According to M. Ladvocat(A), Agatarchides was the firll who defcribed the 

 Rhinoceros. He lived in the reign of Ptolemy Philometer, about 480 years 

 before the birth of our bleffed Saviour. Afterwards Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, 

 Artemidorus, Strabo, Elian, Oppian, Martial, and many others make mention 

 of it. Artemidorus (b) profeftes to have feen one, and accordingly his 

 defcription is the moll exact of any. This feems to be the animal which 

 Ariftotle (c) calls the Oryx and the Indian Afs. Mr. Pennant judicioufly 

 obferves, that " his informers might well compare the clumfy fhape of the 

 Rhinoceros to that of an Afs, fo that the philofopher might eafily be induced 

 to pronounce it a whole-footed animal." It is likewife the Bos Unicornis 

 and Fera Rhinoceros of Pliny (d), who exactly defcribes the large black horn 

 on the fore-head and the hog-like tail. Other writers of later date have alfo 

 defcribed it; as Bontius, Aldrovandus, Chardin, and Ruyfh; but their accounts 

 are very inaccurate and full of fabulous ftories, fuch as that related by 

 Alkazuin, an Arabian writer, who fays that, when the Rhinoceros drinks at 

 a river, all other animals keep at a refpectful diftance till he has done ; and 

 that, when it has taken poneflion of any place, no other animal dares 

 approach within many miles of it, and many other fuch abfurdities. 



Dion(E) fays, that the Emperor Auguftus was the firll who introduced this 

 animal into the mows at Rome, on his triumph over Cleopatra. But Pliny (f), 

 who was better acquainted with the Roman hhiory, anures us, that Pompey 

 the Great exhibited this fpectacle firll ; and this is confirmed by Solinus, 

 according to Polybius(G). Pliny (h) fays, further, that it at length became a 

 favourite exhibition. In the reign of Domitian it was frequently exhibited, 

 and made to combat the Bull. And Martial the poet, who was an eye 

 witnefs, fays, that no animal fights fiercer or llronger. He fays, the 

 Rhinoceros will lift up a Bull with his horn like a football. The fame poet 

 remarks, that he is not eafily provoked, but when he is once enraged, nothing 



(a) Lettre far le Rhinoceros. (e) Dion. Caf. i. 51. 



(b) Strabo, lib. xvi. ( F ) Hift. Nat. lib. viii. c. 20. 



(c) Hift. Anim. lib. ii. c. I. (g) Polyb. c. 43. 



(d) Hift. Nat. lib. viii. c. 21. ( H ) Hift. Nat. lib. vii. c. 20. 



