RHINOCEROSES. 
465 
any bony bar at the hinder part of the socket of the eye, and the large size of the 
nasal bones, which are completely fused together. In those species with but one 
horn this is carried upon the nasal bones, and the front horn of those with two of 
these appendages has a similar situation; but the second horn, when present, is 
placed on the frontal bones. 
Habits Rhinoceroses are stupid and somewhat timorous beasts, generally 
striving to escape from man, although when brought to bay exceed¬ 
ingly fierce, and consequently from their great size very dangerous. Although the 
African species are entirely dependent on their enormous horns, as weapons of 
offence and defence, the Asiatic kinds, in which the horns are smaller, seem to rely 
chiefly upon their sharply-pointed lower tusks, which are capable of inflicting 
terrific gashes. All are mainly nocturnal; and while some resemble the tapirs in 
frequenting tall grass-jungles and swampy districts, others seem to prefer more or 
less open plains. Their food is entirely vegetable; but whereas some species 
subsist almost exclusively on grass, the food of others consists mainly of twigs and 
small boughs of trees; this difference in diet being correlated with a difference in 
the structure of the molar teeth. At the present day these animals are restricted 
to South-Eastern Asia and Africa; and they may be divided into two main groups 
according to their geographical distribution, the Asiatic group being again sub¬ 
divided into two minor groups. 
The Asiatic Rhinoceroses. 
The whole of the three species of rhinoceroses inhabiting Asia are character¬ 
ised by the skin being thrown in places into thick folds, and by the presence of 
teeth in the front of the jaws; the horns being either one or two in number. 
Indian By far the largest of these three is the great one-liorned Indian 
Rhinoceros, rhinoceros ( R. unicornis ), which may be conveniently designated as 
the Indian rhinoceros par excellence, and is the one which has been longest 
known in Europe from living examples, a specimen having been sent to Portugal 
as long ago as the year 1513. I 11 this species there is but a single nasal horn; and 
the skin, with the exception of that of the tail and ears, is naked, and on the sides 
of the body studded with a number of large convex tubercles, reminding one of 
the rivets in an iron boiler, which are largest on the fore and hind-quarters, where 
they may be as much as an inch in diameter. The skin of the body is divided 
into a number of shield-like pieces by the aforesaid folds. Thus there is a fold 
before and behind each shoulder, marking off a large triangular shield covering the 
shoulder; and another in front of each thigh dividing the large saddle-shaped 
body-shield from the one on the hind-quarters. The folds behind the shoulder 
and in front of the hind-quarters continue completely across the back, but the one 
in front of the shoulder inclines backwards and dies out close to the second great 
fold. Other folds form great rolls of skin on the neck, while there are others below 
the shields on the fore and hind-quarters and one situated behind the buttocks 
which forms a groove for the reception of the tail. The head is very large in 
proportion to the body, with the occipital region of the skull very much elevated; 
and the ears are large, with their tips fringed with hairs. The horns are large in 
vol. n.— 30 
