690 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
the libation of water and milk is poured from a cup carved from its horn. The 
urine is considered antiseptic : it is hung in a vessel at the principal door as a 
charm against ghosts, evil spirits and diseases.” The above beliefs are in no- 
wise confined to Nepal as the Chinese, Burmese and Siamese preserve practi- 
cally every part of the rhinoceros. The horn, hoof, blood, urine, hide and even 
the intestines being dried up and afterwards converted into various medicines. 
As regards shooting rhino in Nepal the importance of a vital shot has been 
already commented upon. Selous in his ‘ Hunters Wanderings in Africa ’ in 
writing about rhino says : — “ As with elephants it is very unsatisfactory work 
following up a wounded rhino as they do not go and lie down but walk on and 
on tnl their strength gives way. They die very quickly when shot through both 
lungs and the upper part of the heart, but if shot from the front, and the bullet 
only penetrates one lung, they will go on to all eternity though throwing blood 
out of their mouth and nostrils by the gallon. With a broken shoulder they 
wll run first at a gallop and then at a halting trot for more than a mile, but 
if the hind leg is broken they do not appear to be able to budge a step.” 
Conditions in Nepal are entirely different from the country in which Selous 
shot; owing to the nature of the terrain the tracking of wounded rhino is practically 
impossible and many a mortally wounded beast has been lost in consequence. 
A shot through the brain placed a few inches in front of the root of the ear 
would seem to be the most effective, or a shot through the forepart of the neck 
severing the cervical vertebrae. In the Society’s journal Mr. G. C. Shortridge 
records shooting an Asiatic two-horned rhino with a shot yun loaded with lethal 
bullet dropping him at 7 paces with a lucky shot in the head which sma 
through the skufl and lodged in the brain. shed 
Writing of the Rhinoceros of Somali Land (iJ. bicornis) Captain P. Z. Cox 
(Society’s Journal, Vol. XITT, p. 93 et seq.) describes his experiences and those 
of Donaldson- Smith, as tothe effect of variously placed shots with heavy rifles, 
the conclu.sion arrived at b.^ing that the “ knock out ” blow is a broadside shot 
in the belly, the reason probably being that in this part of the Rhino’s anatomy, 
there is such a number of nerve.« and blood vessels that a bullet planted 
therein causes him a violent shock to the system. 
Another writer commenting on the abo\^e on page 538 of Vol. XIII takes 
exception to the belly shot, states he has no faith in head shots, and consi- 
ders a shot behind the shoulder to be the most fatal. 
Tiger {F. tiyris). 
The method of ‘ ringing ’ tiger with elephants is I think peculiar to Nepal 
and certain parts of Assam and is necessitated by the dense jungle, found in 
the foot hills or Terai. This must be seen to be appreciated. Dense elephant 
grass up to 20' in height and so thick as to almost obscure the elephant from tlie 
view of the howdah occupant in its passage through it. The training of the actual 
elephants that beat the inside of the ring is astonishing. Time after time they 
beat through this dense jungle and in more than one instance have been mauled 
by the tiger. This also speaks volumes for the courage of the mahouts. The 
method of ringing was very interesting and exceedingly skilful. Two lines in a V 
advanced through the jungle where the ‘ kill’ was known to have been 
dragged to, one line beating up towards the other. As soon as the tiger was 
flushed the open ends of the V closed in an incredibly short time, and in only 
two cases failed to enclose the game.* * 
The vitality of one tigress calls for comment ; she and two cubs were ringed 
on, I think, the fourth day and was still alive and dangerous with 2 bullets 
through the head, one in the neck, one in the chest, two in the shoulders and 
one in the body. 
* For ftirther notes on Tiger Ringing in Nepal, vide Fi.'ld April 22nd and 
May tJth, 1922. 
