NO. I 



THE WHITE RHINOCEROS HELLER 



37 



the western bank. Specimens have been shot in the Enclave in two 

 districts, one a few miles below Wadelai and the other near the 

 station of Lado. Very little is yet known of their distribution west- 

 Ward. The farthest point inland where they were met by Colonel 

 Roosevelt was two days' march to the west of Chief Sururu's village, 

 which is approximately 12 miles west of Rhino Camp. In this vicinity 

 nine were seen by Colonel Roosevelt in one day's journey to the north- 

 west of the village. A few days later Kermit Roosevelt encountered 

 10 in the same general neighborhood. They were found only in this 

 particular locality and appeared to be locally distributed. Stigand 

 mentions finding them three days' journey inland from the Nile, but 

 mentions no definite locality. Major Powell-Cotton has informed me 

 that the River Arau, opposite Wadelai, is the extreme southern limit 

 of the range of the white rhinoceros, and that the species extends 

 somewhat farther north than Kiro, and no doubt also northwest into 

 the Bahr-el Ghazal province. General Mahon has recently secured 

 a specimen in the Dar Fertit country at the head of the Bahr-el 

 Ghazal drainage. This locality extends the distribution several hun- 

 dred miles west of the Nile. In 1904 Major Powell-Cotton made a 

 journey from Kiro south along the entire extent of the west bank 

 of the Nile to the north short of the Albert Nyanza. White rhinoce- 

 ros were only met with by this explorer near Kiro, Kevi, and Fariala, 

 which localities are all in the vicinity of Mount Lado, and at two 

 other stations, Lenaisi and Rhino Camp, in the vicinity of Wadelai. 

 An exploration along the Kaya River and onto the plateau of 

 Kajo-kaji, as well as a journey south along the west bank of the Nile, 

 failed to produce evidence of rhinoceroses in this part of the Lado. 

 During his visit the country was found to be so absolutely devoid of 

 water that no exploration of the district lying a few days west of the 

 Nile could be attempted, and Major Powell-Cotton's efforts had to be 

 confined to the proximity of the west bank. The known distribution 

 of the white rhinoceros covers the two widely separated localities of 

 Lado Station and Rhino Camp, which are some 120 miles apart, and 

 the more distant Dar Fertit country. If the distribution of this species 

 is continuous between the two Lado localities the animal must occur at 

 a considerable distance west of the Nile near the headwaters of the 

 small tributary streams where the water supply may be permanent. 

 White rhinoceroses require water daily and if any occurred near the 

 west bank evidence of their presence would not have been wanting 

 during Major Powell-Cotton's journey in the dry season when the 

 lack of water on the veldt would have forced them to come to the Nile. 



