2 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6l 



Of the thousands of white rhinoceroses killed in South Africa less 

 than a dozen skulls are to-day preserved in museums. Thus the 

 series of skulls of the Nile race illustrated in this paper is greater in 

 number than all the recorded specimens of the typical race from 

 south of the Zambesi now preserved in natural history museums. With 

 very few exceptions every specimen of white rhinoceros preserved 

 in European and American museums has been examined and meas- 

 ured by the writer. The total amount of material studied has thus 

 been quite as extensive as the existing collections would permit. By 

 far the greater part of this material consists of skulls, 34 of which 

 have been available. Nine of these represent the South African 

 race, Ceratotherium simum simum, and 25 the Nile race, Cerato- 

 therium simum cottoni. In addition to this material a mounted 

 skeleton in the British Museum, and another in the Museum d'His- 

 toire Naturelle de Paris, of the South African race, have been 

 examined, as well as one of the Nile race in the Congo Museum at 

 Brussels. The mounted specimens examined consist of three males of 

 Ceratotherium simum simum: one in the British Museum, another in 

 the Rothschild Museum at Tring, and a third in the Leyden Museum. 

 The Nile race is represented by a group of three in the National 

 Museum, an adult male and female and a calf, shot by Colonel Roose- 

 velt in the Lado, which have been available for study. The recorded 

 specimens of the typical or southern race, not examined by the writer 

 are the three in the museums of South Africa and one at Liverpool. 



For the privilege of studying the material in the British Museum 

 the writer is indebted to Mr. Oldfield Thomas, who has extended 

 every assistance with the collection of mammals which is under his 

 charge. Major P. H. G. Powell-Cotton has generously put his large 

 series of white rhinoceros specimens from the Lado Enclave at the 

 writer's disposal, and has also assisted him with notes and details of 

 his shooting experiences in connection with the securing of the speci- 

 mens. The writer is indebted most of all to Colonel Roosevelt, to 

 whom it is a special pleasure to acknowledge his gratitude. His 

 untiring efforts in the field in procuring the specimens and his unfail- 

 ing assistance in furthering zoological results during his African 

 journey have been of the utmost assistance to the writer. 



THE HUNT FOR THE WHITE RHINOCEROS 



One of the most valuable contributions to zoology made by the 

 Smithsonian African Expedition, under the direction of Col. Theo- 

 dore Roosevelt, is the collection of square-lipped rhinoceroses from 



