116 TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
Atbara,” His adversary is a fly (probably of the 
Linnaean genus oestrus) which is bred in the black 
earth of the marshes. It persecutes him so un- 
remittingly, that it would in a short time subdue 
him, but for a stratagem which he practises for his 
preservation. In the night when the fly is at rest, 
the rhinoceros chuses a convenient place, and there 
rolling in the mud, clothes himself with a kind of 
Case, which defends him against his adversary the 
following day. The wrinkles and plaits of his 
skin serve to keep this muddy plaister firm upon 
him, all but about his hips, shoulders, and legs, 
where it cracks and falls off by motion, and leaves 
him exposed in those parts to the attacks of the 
fly. The itching and pain which follow, occasion 
him to rub himself in those parts against the 
roughest trees ; and this is one cause of the nume- 
rous pustules or tubercles that we see upon him. 
He enjoys so much the rubbing himself, that he 
groans and grunts so loud during this action, as to 
be heard at a considerable distance. The pleasure 
he receives from this employment, and the darkness 
of the night deprive him of his usual vigilance 
and attention. The hunters guided by his noise, 
steal secretly upon him ; and while lying on the 
ground, wound him with their javelins, mostly 
in the belly, where the wound is mortal. 
It is by no means true that the skin of this rhi- 
noceros, as it has been often represented, is hard 
or impenetrable like a board. In his wild slate 
he is slain by javelins thrown from the hand, some 
ofyvhich enter his body to a great depth. A mus- 
ket shot will go through him, unless interrupted 
by a bone ; and the Shangalla, an Abyssinian 
tribe, kill him by the clumsiest arrows that ever 
were used by any people practising that weapon, 
and cut him in pieces afterwards with the very 
Worst of knives. 
