The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-09-04
THE RHINOCEROs.
HOW THIS eeaocloUs BEAST LOOKS
AND BEHAVES WHEN At HOME.

AND BEHAVES WHEN At HOME.
His Hide. His Horns and tho Faithful
Feathersd Friend That Accompanies
Him-Hs Is Scarcely Ever Hunted ON
Horseback, So Great Il His Speed,
When the rhinoceros Is at home-whore
10 Is probable he had much rather be than
dragged around the country in gaudily
painted cart as one of tho attractions of
menagerie or confined In some geological
garden, where no Is prevented from goring
the small boy who gazes at him as impu-
IDENTIFY as he pleases-he lives in Asia or
Africa. Perhaps 1t would no more proper
to say that he fights in those countries,
for the greater portion Of his long life Is
made up of combats with his relatives or
any other animals who come in his way.
In Africa there arc four varieties, dis
tinguished by the natives MS follows: The
borele, or black rhinoceros; the keitloa, or
two horned black the moohooho, or COM
mon white, and the kaboba, or long horn
ed white rhinoceros. The first two are
smaller but more fierce than the white
ones and are quite as willing to hunt the
sportsman as to be hunted. The largest of
the Africans is the long horned white rhi-
noceros, which has been found IS feet
inches in length, and the circumference of
its broad back and low hanging belly Is
very nearly tho same number Of feet and
inches.
There are three species of the Asiatic
rhinoceros, two of which have but one
horn, while tho third has two. These are
much smaller than their brothers from
Africa, and their skin hangs in folds.
Mr.. Greenwood says that the hunters
and writer's who have asserted that bull
let will hardly pierce this animals hide
arc mistaken, and that q rifle ball will
penetrate the loose, basgy covering with
little or no difficulty. The belief that the
hide was so tough probably arose from ex-
periments made with that which had been
toughencd almost like horn by a process
employed by the natives, who make from
1t whipstocks and walking canes
Mr.. Gordon Cumming, the celebrated
hunter, in speaking of the largest African
species, says: at is about as large around
as it is long, while the body sots SO low on
Its legs that a tall man a-tiptoe could see
across Its back. Attached to its blunt nose
NOT to the bone, but merely set in the
skin, with network Of muscles to hold it
is horn more Or less curved, hard as
steel, sharp and more than yard long,
and Immediately behind this is a little
horn, equally sharp and nearly straight"
His eyes arc very small and as useful to
him by night as by day. His ears arc long,
pointed and tipped with few bristles,
which, with a tuft at tho end Of his tail,
all L, = Lii. L
seSseS.
The length of the horn varies in the
different species, the main horn of the ka-
boba exceeding four feet, while that Of the
moohooho is seldom over two feet In all
cases among the double horned animals
the rear one-that is to say the one near
est tho forchead-is always short, not Of
ten more than six inches.
There are many singular superstitions
regarding the horn Of the rhinoceros,
which Ia not as valuable for its ivory as
that from the elephant. Rhinoceros horn
shavings are supposed by many people to
cure certain diseases, and it Is believed
that II poison be poured into cup made
of the horn it will burst it. A German
writer says: "This horn will not endure
the touch Of poison. have often been
witness of this Many people of fashion at
tho Cape have cups turned out of the rhi- |
noceros horn; some have them set In sill
yer and some gold. If wine is poured into
one Of these cups, it Immediately rises and
bubbles up as though it were boiling, and
If there is poison in 1t the cup immediate
ly splits. If poison Is put by itself into ono
of these cups, it in an instant flies to
pieces. The chips made In turning one Of
these cups are carefully saved and re-
turned to the owner Of the cup, being es-
teemed of great benefit in commissions,
and many other complaints"
As to whether the horn of the rhinoce-
ros is such a test for poison the reader may
safely doubt, but 1t can make but little
difference, since 1t Is hardly probable he
cares either for the wine or the poison and
has no need Of such u sensitive drinking
cup.
Clumsy looking as the great brute is
Mr. Gordon Cumming says "a horse and
rider can rarely manage to overtake it"
Another famous African hunter writes
He Is not often pursued on horseback,
chiefly because his speed md endurance
are such that 1t is very difficult to come
up with him, to say nothing of the dan
One Of tho most singular Of attendants
is that which tho rhinoceros has. 1t is
little bird called by ornithologists Bupha-
Ga afrcana and known to hunters as tho
rhinoceros bird. This little fellow cings
to the animals hide by means of its long
claws and elastic tail, feeding on the in
sects that infest the leathery skin. In do
ing this it renders great service to the
10 I.,t Anil
to its other duty. II acts as sentinel to
warn its movable feeding place Of ap-
danger. While it Is eating it Is
,ver on tho alert, and at the first sign of
he hunter 1t flies in the air, tutoring its
warming note, which is ever quickly heed
ID, the rhinoceros starting off at once in
The direction taken by its watchful friend.
Mr. Cumming states that when the rhi-
1oceros is asleep, and the bird, hearing
he approach Of the hunter, fails to awaken
him by its voice, 1t will arouse him by
picking tho inside of his car.
Some species of rhinoceros arc inclined
% peace and will rarely attack man save
n defense of their young or their lives,
while others, and more particularly tho
ieitloa, will attack man or beast simply
o crafty their love Of fighting. The lion
lover risks an encounter with rhinoce.
os, save when absolutely necessary for his
,wn safety, and it is but seldom the elo-
,hant cares to measure strength with him,
or tho larger animal is far less quick in
lis movements than the smaller.
Tho rhinoceros of Asia is much better
empcred than its African brothers.
Nothing is definitely known as to the
vcragc age of this animal, but it is gen.
rally believed that the duration of life of