R I! I 
devoured. The horns of the rhinoceros suffer greatly in' the 
preparation of his food; he often leaves a part of a horn 
either fixed in a tree, which he has in vain attempted to tear, 
or lying beside it on the ground. The sensibility of the 
rhinoceros in this part, must render such an accident as the 
breaking of a horn, if not fatal, at least extremely painful and 
dangerous. Mr. Bruce relates, that he saw a rhinoceros so 
affected, on having the point of his foremost hom broken off 
by a musket ball, as to appear, for an instant, absolutely 
incapable of sense and motion. 
However unwieldy his form, the rhinoceros displays aston¬ 
ishing swiftness. He moves with a sort of trot; quickening 
his pace by degrees, as he runs. His speed is not equal to 
that of a swift and vigorous horse; but, between speed and 
cunning, he seldom suffers a hunter, mounted on horseback, 
to overtake him. The Hottentot and Caffrarian hunters are 
accustomed to steal upon the rhinoceros when asleep, and 
gore him with several deep wounds. After which they fol¬ 
low his footsteps, even for several days, till he drops down 
of weakness, or dies of his wounds. But they commonly 
poison their darts immediately before the enterprise; and, 
in this case, the animal does not long survive. As he moves 
through the forest, the trees are crushed under his weight, 
like so many dry reeds. His eyes are so small, and his sight 
so feeble, that he sees only a very short way before him. The 
Abyssinians pursue him, two on a horse; and, as he seldom 
looks behind him, commonly overtake him before he is 
aware. The one, armed with a sword, then drops down ; 
and, cutting the hams of the rhinoceros, the vast animal falls 
to the ground, alike incapable of flight and of resistance. 
Although naturally peaceable, he is disposed, as well as other 
animals, to defend himself when attacked. His rage is im¬ 
petuous, and generally ill directed; he injures himself as 
readily as an antagonist; he knocks his head against a wall 
or manger; strikes against a tree with as much satisfaction as 
against the hunter who attacks him. 
It may be naturally conceived, that so large an animal as 
the rhinoceros must require a considerable quantity of water 
to macerate his food. The tracts of country which he in¬ 
habits are interspersed with marshes, lakes, and rivers. The 
district of Shangalla, the favourite abode of this species, in 
Abyssinia, is, for six months in the year, deluged by constant 
rains, and overspread with woods which prevent evaporation. 
The rhinoceros, as well as most other species, is pestered by 
flies. Being destitute of hair, he is peculiarly exposed to the 
persecution of these insects. Nature has taught him, however, 
to roll occasionally in the mire, till he acquires a crust of dirt, 
which may, for some time at least, protect him from their 
stings. But this dries, cracks, and falls off in pieces. The 
flies then renew their attacks and often pierce through his 
skin; so that his body is at length covered over with pus¬ 
tules. It is in the night chiefly, that he rolls in the mire; 
and the hunters often steal on him at that period, while he is 
enjoying one of his favourite pleasures, and stab him with 
mortal wounds in the belly, before he is aware of their ap¬ 
proach. By wallowing in the mire, he often gathers reptiles 
and insects upon his body; such as millepedes, scolopendrse, 
worms, and snails. 
The rhinoceros, though next in size, yet in docility and 
ingenuity greatly inferior, to the elephant, has never yet been 
tamed, so as to assist the labours of mankind, or to appear in 
the ranks of war. Thus, Job asks, “Will the unicorn be 
willing to serve thee or abide by thy crib ? can’st thou bind 
tire unicorn with his band in the furrow ? or will he harrow 
the valleys after thee ?” 
RHINOCEROS Avis, the name of a species of Buceros, 
which see, vol. iii. p. 478. 
RHINOCEROS an insect of the genus scarabseus or 
beetle. See Scarabteus. 
RHINOCQLURA, or Rhinocorura, a town of Syria, 
22 miles from Raphia, and which formed a kind of boundary 
between Syria and Egypt. Strabo attributes it to Phoenicia; 
and Pliny calls the sea, on a strait of which this place is 
situated, the “ Sea of Phoenicia.’’ Diodorus Siculus mentions 
this town, as destitute of all the conveniences of life; that 
Voe. XXII. No. 1484. 
R H I 57 
its water was bitter and noxious, and that it was surrounded 
with salt marshes. 
RHINOMACER, in Entomology, a genus of insects of the 
order Coleoptera. The generic character is, antennae seta¬ 
ceous, seated on the snout; four feelers, growing thicker to¬ 
wards the end; the last joint is truncate. There are three 
species, none of which are found in this country. 
1. Rhinomacer Curculioides. This is grey and downy; 
the antennae and legs are black. It inhabits Italy. It resem¬ 
bles a curculio. The antennae are setaceous and black, and 
as long as the thorax; the last joint is sharp; the snout is flat, 
and impressed in the middle. 
2. Rhinomacer Attelaboides. This ispiceom -downy; the 
antennae and legs are testaceous. It is found in divers parts 
of Sweden. The snout is elevated and projected; the body 
is cinereous. 
3. Rhinomacer Caeruleus. This species is of a blueish 
colour, and it is subvillous; the base of the antennae and legs 
are yellow. It inhabits Calabria, and has been thought to be 
a species of the Attelabus. 
RIIINOPTES, a word used by the ancients to express a 
person, who, from an ulcer in the inner comer of the eye, 
laying open the passages to the nose, could see through his 
nostril. 
RHINSBERG. See Reinsberg. 
RHINSBERGERS. See Collegiants. 
RHIPSALIS, Gaertner’s name for the Cactus pendulus. 
See vol. iii. p. 581. 
RHIPTASMOS, a word used by the ancients to express 
a restlessness and frequent tossing about, a very common 
symptom in fevers. 
RHISOPHAGI, a people of Ethiopia, in the vicinity of 
the isle of Meroe, upon the banks of the rivers Astaboras and 
Astapas, according to Diodorus Siculus. 
RHISPIA, a town of the Higher Pannonia, at a distance 
from the Danube, and situated between Savaria and Vincen- 
dria. Ptolemy. 
RHISUS, a town of Greece, on the coast of Thessaly, ac¬ 
cording to Strabo and Steph. Byz. Pliny mentions a town 
of this name in Magnesia. 
RHITHYMNA, a town situated on the northern coast of 
the isle of Crete. Ptolemy. 
RHITIA, a town of Africa, in Mauritania Caesariensis; 
placed by Ptolemy in the interior of the country between 
Arina and Victoria. 
RHITTIUM, a town of Lower Pannonia, upon the banks 
of the Danube, between Acumincum Legio and Taururum, 
according to Ptolemy. 
RHIUM, a promontory on the north east part of Achaia: it 
formed with Anti-Rhium, another promontory opposite to it, 
and more northerly, the strait by which the Ionian sea com¬ 
municated with the gulf of Corinth.—Also, a town of the 
Peloponnesus, in Messenia, upon the gulf of Thuriates, op¬ 
posite to the promontory Tanarus, according to Strabo.—Also 
a promontory on the east side of the island of Corsa, be¬ 
tween mount Rheetius and the town Urcipium. Ptolemy. 
RHIUSIAVA, a town of Germany, on the banks of the 
Danube, between Arse Flaviae and Alcimsenis. Ptolemy. 
RHIW, a mountain in Wales, in Caernarvonshire, 1013 
feet in height. 
RHIZAGRA, an old instrument for extracting the stumps 
of teeth. 
RHIZANA, a town placed by Ptolemy in the interior of 
Dalmatia.—Also, a town of Asia, in Gedrosia, upon the sea- 
coast near Coiamba. Ptol. —Also, a town placed by Ptolemy 
in Arachosia, between Alexandria and Arbaca. 
RHIZINIUM, or Rhisinum, or Rhison, a town of Dal¬ 
matia, on a gulf to which it gave the name of Rhisonicus 
Sinus. Ptol. 
RIIIZIUM, Rhize, a town of Asia, in the Colchide, on 
the coast of the Euxine sea, and west of the mouth of the 
small river “ Rhizius." 
RHIZOBOLUS, [from a root; and £oXvj from taXhu, 
to throw; because it throwsout many roots,] in botany, a genus 
of the class polyandria, order tetragynia.—Generic Charac- 
Q ter.— 
