THE RHINO— NEW SHELLS 
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THE RHINO AND ITS CURIOUS DIET 
By C. W. Hobley 
It is, I think, not widely known that rhinos have a great 
predilection for the Euphorbia candelabra. The A-Kamba of 
Kikumbuliu know well this fact, and if in clearing for a shamba 
they cut down a euphorbia often sit up all night in a neigh- 
bouring tree to watch for the rhinos, for they say that a dead 
euphorbia acts as a kind of bait. Their story is that the first 
night or two the rhinos will walk round the tree, sniff at it, but 
about the third night will commence to eat it and will come 
back night after night till all the softer parts are devoured. It 
is curious that a tree with such an ample protection of thorns 
and such an acrid sap should prove palatable to even a rhino. 
It is possible that the rhino waits a couple of days or so in 
order to allow the acrid sap to coagulate, and it may be that a 
ferment sets in in the dead tissues of the tree which neutralises 
the noxious properties of the sap. This genus of euphorbia 
is called ‘ Kithui * by the A-Kamba. The rhino are also said to 
be very fond of a trailing euphorbia called 4 Ndao ’ by the 
A-Kamba and 4 Utupa ’ by the Swahilis. This habit of the 
rhino has been verified by Mr. G. Dean of Kibwezi. 
The 4 Utupa ’ has been recently identified as Euphorbia 
Tirucalli and is said to have an economic future. 
NEW SHELLS FOUND AT NAIROBI 
The Rev. Marcus Falloon communicates the interesting 
information that amongst some shells that he found recently 
on the Hill, and which he sent home to the British Museum for 
identification, there are two varieties new to science which 
belong to the genus Limicolaria and to the genus Succinea. 
