298 SOMALILAND 
The Wart Hog {Plmcochmms mthiopicus). 
Found in the Boorgha country, at Bun Feroli, and at Lehello and Upper 
Sheik, just over the tops of the Gulis Kange, also at the foot of the range. 
Height at shoulders, 30 inches. Colour dirty slate gray ; two large 
warts under eyes, and two lower down on sides of snout ; long dirty 
yellow bristles down back of head, neck, and back ; bristles at end of 
long thin tail. It carries its tail erected on high when alarmed, and is 
a most comical object as it scampers off. Old boars carry enormous 
tusks ; sows also carry fine tusks. Record length of tusks, 27 and 26 
inches (R. Ward). 
The Hippopotamus {Hippopotamus amphihius). 
Found in the Webbi Shebeyli, 400 miles south of the coast. Tracks seen 
all along the banks. 
Length 12 to 14 feet. Colour : sides reddish or yellow-brown ; back blacker. 
Average length of male tusks, 30 inches. 
The Black Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros hicornis). 
I found this animal very numerous in the Boorgha country at Biermuddo, 
Gonsali, and Havooli, and along the north bank of the Webbi Shebeyli, 
from Boholo Deno to Mount Culdush, and east bank of the Webbi 
Daghatto. A few left in the Farfanyer district, and to the east of 
Ogaden. A few near Galadi, in the Midjertain country, South-East 
Somaliland; also in the Marehan country, south-east. Very numerous 
between the Webbi Shebeyli and the Webbi Ganana. 
Selous has clearly demonstrated that there are only two kinds of African 
rhinoceros, i.e., the ‘ black ’ rhinoceros {Rhinoceros hicornis) and the 
‘ white ’ rhinoceros {R. simus). A friend of mine asked the attendant 
at a well-known museum why the huge gray-black object he was contem- 
plating was called white, and received the answer : ‘ Oh, because it has 
a square mouth !’ The black rhinoceros, as a matter of fact, is almost 
the same colour as the white rhinoceros, but the difference lies in the 
head and mouth. The head of the black ‘ rhino ’ is small in proportion 
to its body ; the head of the white ‘ rhino ’ is large in proportion to its 
body. The white ‘ rhino ’ has a huge ‘ square ’ mouth, and the black ‘rhino ’ 
has the upper lip prehensile. Secondly, the black variety feeds on roots, 
leaves, and branches of thorn-bush, whilst the white feeds exclusively 
on grass. 
Wherever I walked in the bush close to the Webbi Shebeyli, I noticed the 
dung tossed all over the place by the horn of the black rhinoceros, and 
a half egg-shaped hole scooped out of the ground about a foot deep. 
These holes I at first attributed to the wish of the animal to make a bed 
to lie in, but afterwards changed my opinion, as I have seen a rhinoceros 
lying down, and on going up to examine the place after he had left it, 
I found no such hole. The animal digs up all this earth with its horn 
to cover the dung and scatter it, so as to destroy all trace of itself, on the 
same principle as a dog does. As I have before remarked, I consider the 
hunting of this animal, which is very easy of approach, is attended with 
no little risk, especially in the Boorgha country, where there is nothing 
in the shape of a tree-trunk to get behind, the miserable little thin thorn- 
bushes affording no check to the rush of an infuriated and wounded rhino- 
