RHI 
with dignity and spirit, that we may leave 
the minds of the hearers warm, and dismiss 
tliem with a favourable impression of the 
subject and of the speaker.” 
RHEUM, in botany, rhubarb, a genus of 
the Enneandria Trigynia class and order. 
Natural order of Holoracese. Polygoneae, 
Jussieu. Essential character ; calyx none; 
corolla six- cleft, permanent; seed one, three- 
sided. There are seven species, among 
which we shall notice the R. palmatum, 
officinal rhubarb : the root is perennial, 
thick, of an oval shape, sending otf long ta- 
pering branches; externally it is brown, 
internally of a deep yellow colour; stem 
erect, round, hollow. Jointed, from six to 
eight feet in height ; root leaves numerous, 
large, rough, of a roundish figure, deeply cut 
into lobes and irregularly pointed segments ; 
on long foot-stalks ; stem leaves one at each 
joint, from a membranaceous sheath, suc- 
cessively smaller upwards ; flowers surround- 
ing the branches in numerous clusters, 
forming a kind of spike ; corolla of a green- 
ish white colour. It is a native of China 
and Tartary. At the end of six or seven 
years, when the plant seems to arrive at its 
most perfect state, one pound of rhubarb 
may be obtained from every five pounds of 
the green roots, besides an equal or larger 
proportion of roots fit for family use. 
RHEXIA, in botany, a genus of the Oc- 
tandria Monogynia class and order. Natu- 
ral order of Calycanthemae. Melastomse, 
Jussieu. Essential character : calyx four- 
cleft ; petals four, inserted into the calyx ; 
anthers declining ; capsule four-celled, with- 
in the belly of the calyx. There are thir- 
teen species: all these plants are found wild 
in America. 
RHINANTHUS, in botany, a genus of 
the Didynamia Angiospermia class and or- 
der. Natural order of Personatap, Pedi- 
culares, Jussieu. Essential character : calyx 
four-cleft, ventricose ; capsule two-celled, 
blunt, compressed. There are eight species. 
RHINOCEROS, in natural history, a 
genus of mammalia of the order Ferse. Ge- 
neric character: horn solid, perennial, coni- 
cal, seated on the nose, but not adhering to 
the bone. This quadruped is exceeded in 
size only by the elephant. Its usual length, 
not including the tail, is twelve feet ; and 
the circumference of its body nearly the 
same. Its nose is armed with a horny sub- 
stance, projecting, in the full-grown animal, 
nearly three feet, and is a weapon of de- 
fence, which almost secures it from every 
attack. Evfen the tiger, with all his ferocity, 
RHI 
is but very rarely daring enough to assail thet 
rhinoceros. Its upper lip is of considerable 
length and pliability, acting like a species 
of snout, grasping the shoots of trees and 
various substances, conveys them to the 
mouth, and it is capable of extension and 
contraction "at the animal’s convenience. 
The skin is, in some parts, so thick and 
hard as scarcely to be penetrable by the 
sharpest sabre, or even by a musket-ball. 
These animals are found in Bengal, Siam, 
China, and in several countries of Africa ; 
but are far less numerous than the elephant, 
and of sequestered solitary habits. The 
female produces only one at a birth ; and at 
the age of two years the horn is only an 
inch long, and at six, only of the length of 
nine inches. The rhinoceros is not fero- 
cious unless when provoked, when he ex- 
hibits paroxysms of rage and madness, and 
is highly dangerous to those who encoimter 
him. He runs with great swiftness, and 
rushes through brakes and woods with an 
energy to wfiich every thing yields. It is 
generally, however, quiet and inoffensive. 
Its food consists entirely of vegetables, the 
tender branches of trees, and succulent 
herbage, of which it will devour immense 
quantities. It delights in retired and cool 
situations, near lakes and streams, and ap- 
pears to derive one of tlie highest satisfac- 
tions from the practice of rolling and wal- 
lowing in mud; in this respect bearing a 
striking resemblance to the hog. 
This animal was exhibited, by Augustus, 
to the Romans, and is supposed to be the 
unicorn of the scripture, as it possesses the 
properties ascribed to tliat animal of mag- 
nitude, strength, and swiftness, in addition 
to that peculiarity of a single horn, which 
may be considered as establishing their 
identity. This animal can distinguish, by 
its sight, only what is directly before it, and 
always, when pursued, takes the course im- 
mediately before him, almost without the 
slightest deviation from a right line, remov- 
ing every impediment. Its sense of smell- 
ing is very acute, and also of hearing, and, on 
both these accounts, the hunters approach 
him against the wind. In general, they watch 
his lying down to sleep, when advancing 
with the greatest circumspection, they dis- 
charge their muskets into his belly. The 
flesh is eaten both in Africa and India. 
R. bicornis, or the two-horned rhinoce- 
ros, is similar in size and manners to the 
former, and is principally distinguished from 
it by having two horns on its nose; the 
first being always the largest, and some- 
