[ 5 ?* ] 
along down ; but, between the Folds, the Skin is as 
fmooth and foft as Silk, and eafily penetrated ; of a 
pale Flclh- colour, which does not appear to View in 
the Folds, except when the Rhinoceros extends them, 
but is always in View under the fore and hinder Parts 
of the Belly; but the Middle is incrufted over like 
the reft of the Skin. To call thefe fcabbed Rough- 
neftes Scales, as fome have done, is to raife an Idea 
in us of fomething regular 5 which in many Authors 
is a great Inaccuracy, and leads the Reader into Er- 
rors ; for there is nothing formal in any of them. 
As to the Performance of this Animal’s feveral 
Motions, let us confider the great Wifdom of the 
Creator, in the Contrivance that ferves him for 
that Purpofe. The Skin is intirely impenetrable and 
inflexible; if therefore it was continued all over the 
Creature, as the Skins of other Animals, without any 
Folds; he could not bend anyway, and confequently 
not perform any neceflary A&ion ; but that Supple- 
nefs in the Skins of all other Quadrupeds, which 
renders them flexible in all Parts, is very well corn- 
pen fated in this Animal by thofe Folds ; for, fince it 
was neceflary his Skin fhould be hard for his Defence, 
it was a noble Contrivance, that the Skin fhould be 
fo foft and fmooth underneath, that, when he bends 
himfelf any way, one Part of this Board-like Skin 
fhould flip or fhove over the other ; and that thefe 
feveral Folds fhould be placed in fuch Places of his 
Body, as might facilitate the Performance of every 
voluntary Motion he might be difpofed to. 
I only beg leave to add one Paragraph more, 
wherein I fhall attempt to fettle a Point that concerns 
the double Horn mentioned by Martial , 
Namque 
