Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-09-25
THE RHINOCEROS.
HOW THIS FERoCloUS BEAST LOOKS
AND BEHAVES WHEN AT HOME.

Him-He Is Scarcely Ever Hunted on
Horseback, So Great Is His Speed,
When the rhinoceros is at home-where
1t is probable he had much rather be than.
dragged around the country in gaudily
painted cart as one of the attractions of
menagerie or confined in some geological
garden, where he is prevented from gorng
the small boy who gazes at him as impu-
IDENTIFY as he pleases-he lives in Asia or
Africa. Perhaps it would he 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 =
any other animals who come in his way.
. In Africa there are four varieties, dis
tinguished by the natives as 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 the same number of feet and
inches.
There are three species of the Asiatc
rhinoceros, two Of which have but one
horn, while the 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 writers who have asserted that bull
let will hardly pierce this animals hide
are mistaken, and that Il rifle ball will
penetrate the loose, buggy covering with
little or no difficulty. The belief that the
hide was so tough probably arose from OK
perimcnts made with that which had been
toughcned almost like horn by process
employed by the natives, who make from
it whipstocks and walking canes
Mr.. Gordon Cumming, the celebrated
hunter, in speaking of the largest African
species, says: 1T is about as large around
rs it is long, while the body sets so low on
its legs chat 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 Il network of muscles to hold it
is Il horn more or less curved, hard as
steel, sharp and more than Il yard long,
and Immediately behind this is little
horn, equally sharp and nearly straight"
His eyes are very small and as useful to
him Ivy night as by day His cars are long,
"iiN ilP,N Ni'ii ~" u!I9llcS'
WHICH, "ltn Il V''lU at 'he emu oil ms tan,
make up all inc selhDlahce OIL halr he pos
sesscs
ne length OF the horn varies in the
Inherent 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 the fOrphpad-is alWnvs short NOT of-
ten more than SIX inches
There are many singular superstitions
regarding the norm of the rhinoccros,
which IS not as valuable fer its ivory as
that from the elephant Rhinoceros horn
shaVlhgs are supposed by many people to
cure certain diseases ana 1t Is believed
tha6 II poison be poured INTO cup made
OF the norm IL VIII purSt It, A German
writer says; ms norm Will not endure
the touch OF poison l have often been
witness OF TINS. Many people OF fashion at
the cape nave cups turned out OF the rhi-
hoceros norm some nave them set IN sill
yer ana some gold II wine Is poured into
one OF these cups, 1T Immediately rises and
bubbles up as though 1t were boiling, and
II there Is poison III IL the cup Immediate
~ splltS. II poison Is put by itself into one
OF these cups, 1t III an Instant HES 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-
teened OF great benefit in commissions,
lalhtlhgs ana many other complaints.
AS 10 whether the norm OF the rhlnoce-
ros Is such 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 vine or the poison and
has no need OF such Il sensitive drinking
cup.
Clumsy looking as the great brute is,
Mr. Gordon Cumming says IA horse and
rider can rarely manage 10 overtake it.
Another famous African hunter writes:
lie Is not often pursued ON horseback,
chiefly because his speed and endurance
are such that 1t Is very difficult to come
up with him, to say nothing OF the dan
ger attendant upon such course.
ono OF tho most singular of attendants
= has iG