The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-20
THE RH1NOoERos.
HOW THIS FsRocIous BEAST LOOKS
AND BEHAVES WHEN AT HOME.

NNo BEHAVES WHEN Al HOME.
His Hide. His Horns and the Faithful
Feathered Friend That Aocompanie
Him-He Is Scarcely Ever Hunted Of
Horseback, So Great L. His Speed.
When the rhinoceros is at hoine-wher
1t is probable he had much rather be thar
dragged around the country In gaudil,
painted cart as one Of the attractions of I
menagorie or confined in some geological
garden, where he is prevented from gorina
the small boy who gazes at him as impu
IDENTIFY as he pleases-he lives in Asia OIL
| Africa. Perhaps 1t would no more proper
to say that he fights In those countries
for the greater portion Of his long life il
made up Of combats with his relatives OF
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 rhinooeros; 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 tho white
ones and are quite as willing to hunt the
sportsman as to DO hunted. The largest of
the Africans is the long horned white rhi-
noceros, which has been found IS feet 6
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 Asiatic
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 q bull
let will hardly pierce this animals hide
are mistaken, and that rifle ball will
penetrate the loose, baggy 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
toughened almost like horn by 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 1t Is long, while the body sets SO low on
Its legs that 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 little
horn, equally sharp and nearly straight"
His eyes are very small and us useful to
him by night as by day His ears are long,
pointed ind tipped with few bristles,
which, with u tuit at the end of his tail,
l. {. H., IL a
sesses
The length of the horn varies In tho
different species, the main horn of the lSa-
boba exceeding four feet, while that of the
moohooho is seldom over two feet. In all
cases among the double horned animals
the rear onc-that is to say, the one near
est the forehead-is always short, not Of
ten moro than six inches.
There are many singular sllperstitions
regarding the horn of the rhinoceros,
which is not as valuable for its ivory as
that from the elephant. Rhnoceros horn
shavings are supposed by many people to
cure certain diseases, and it is believed
that if 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 a
witness of this. Many people of fashion at
the Cape have cups turned out of the rhi-
nocerns horn some have them set in sill
yer and some gold. If wine is poured into
one of these cups, 1t Immediately rises and
bubbles up as though it were boiling, and
II there is poison in it the cup Immediate
ly splits. If poison is put by itself into one
OF these cups, it in M instant flies to
DlprpS phinl In In, 80
these cups IRE carefully saved and re-
turned to the owner of the cup, being es-
teemed of great benefit in commissions,
Paintings and many other complaints"
AS to whether the horn of the rhinoce.
ros Is such test for poison the reader may
safely doubt, but it can make but little
difference since it is hardly probable he
cares either for the wine or the poison and
has no need of such a 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 and endurance
are such that it is very difficult to come
up with him. TO say nothing of the dan
ger attendant upon such course"
One Of tho most singular Of attendants |
Is mat which the rhinoCcros has. 1t is
little bird called by ornithologists Rupha-
ga utricana and known to hunters az the |
rhinoCeroS bird. This little fellow clings |
to the animals hide by means of its long |
claws and elastic tail feeding on the in
sects that iniest tho leathery skin In do
ing TINS 1t renders Il great service to the |
70 r., ou,ar d,,t. oi'' ''' 'oiip"rcu
warn i+s r,orabio tooIin, 10 ,,a se'' III W
nronl,bi,,', ,I Ia,, WI., lnR 'HWo Vi ap-