474 
UNGULATES. 
all the latter the African rhinoceroses are distinguished by the absence of any 
permanent folds in the skin, and also by the want of both incisor teeth and tusks 
in the adult state; such teeth if they occur even in the young being rudimentary 
and functionless. In consequence of this want of front teeth, the extremities 
of both the upper and lower jaws are much shorter than in the Asiatic species. 
Moreover, whereas in the latter the nasal bones are narrow and terminate in a 
point, in the African rhinoceroses they are rounded and truncated in front. In 
both kinds the skin of the body is almost entirely naked and comparatively 
smooth; but there is generally a little fringe or tuft of hairs on the ears and tail. 
Common African The common African rhinoceros ( R. bicornis ) is the smaller of 
Rhinoceros. the two species, and is also the one which has by far the wider 
distribution, extending, in suitable districts, through Eastern and Central Africa, 
from Abyssinia in the north to the Cape Colony in the south. From the character 
of the upper lip 
this species is 
sometimes spoken 
of as the pre¬ 
hensile - lipped 
rhinoceros, while 
in Southern and 
Eastern Africa it is 
variously termed 
the boreli or 
upetyani, the 
keitloa, and the 
kulumani; these 
different native 
names, 
HEAD OF THE COMMON AFRICAN RHINOCEROS. 
we 
shall notice later, 
referring to differences in the relative proportions of the two horns. This 
species is best characterised by the pointed and slightly prehensile upper lip, 
the small and rounded nostrils, and the position of the eyes being a little behind 
the continuation of the axis of the second horn. The ears are of moderate 
length, and furnished with a fringe of hair along the upper edge, while in some 
cases they are rounded above, although in others more pointed. There is a 
considerable amount of individual variation as to the length and amount of the 
fringe of hairs on the margins of the ears. The molar teeth of this rhinoceros are 
of the type of the uppermost of the two represented on p. 464. That is to say, they 
have comparatively low crowns, a well-marked buttress at their front outer angle, 
the middle valley not divided into two moieties by a cross-partition, and the surface 
of the crown when worn raised into two distinct ridges. The latter feature shows 
that the jaws have a somewhat champing, instead of a completely grinding action; 
and since we know that this species feeds almost exclusively on twigs and leaves, 
it may be assumed that molar teeth of this pattern always indicate a similar diet 
for their owners. The horns are well developed in both sexes. 
As regards dimensions, in an adult female from Abyssinia, described by Mr. 
