550 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
The rhinoceros is said to be easy to kill if one shoots him in the neck in 
the region of the withers. But on the other hand, the animal is not pos¬ 
sessed of such amiability and weakness as to render him a desirable foe. Of 
course most hunters are led by their pride to describe their own skill and 
prowess, rather than the exciting adventures which terminated in their favor, and 
the reader is less affected by the boasted skill of a hunter unknown to him 
personally than by the dangers of the sportsman which so appeal to the imagi¬ 
nation. An African traveller relates an amusing incident by which he 
came near losing his camp equipage, while discovering that a red blanket 
was as objectionable to a rhinoceros as to a mad bull. The creature hav¬ 
ing gored the blanket and having thus acquired an unexpected and unlooked 
for ornament which not 
only blinded his eyes but 
also interfered with the 
natural use of his front 
legs, started off, blanket 
and all, and ran a race 
like that of Cowper’s 
celebrated John Gilpin, 
only having to “ carry 
weight ” in the shape of 
a fatal ball; the rhinoce¬ 
ros ran in only onedirec 
tion until his life’s blood 
had ebbed away. It not 
unfrequently happens 
that unskilful native- 
hunters will wound the 
rhinoceros only superfi¬ 
cially and then the crea¬ 
ture will at once “ carry 
the war into Africa,” and 
if Africa is not both 
spry and lucky he will 
not be let off with being 
chased hither and 
thither. Presently it 
HEAD OE INDIAN RHINOCEROS. -ii i r i r 
will be found as unfor¬ 
tunate to supply the native African with fire-arms as a similar experi¬ 
ment has always proved in the case of the North American Indians, for they will 
speedily render extinct animals which will yet be needed for the support of a 
by no means limited population. Of course the costliness of the trip keeps the 
number of European sportsmen within limits, but re-enforced by the natives, no 
game preserves can be expected to hold out. So far as the rhinoceros is con¬ 
cerned, it must not be forgotten that as a food-animal it is held in high 
esteem. Naturally, when accompanied by its cub, the rhinoceros is specially 
dangerous; the cub, however, if taken away from “ its deceased parent,” will 
not object to consorting with domestic oxen and cows. An exciting ride on a 
rhinoceros, which, though not resulting fatally to the rider, discouraged fur- 
