The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-25
Col. Roosevelt Tracks Uncom.
mon Animal to Its Lair.
Has Jaw Like Hippo and Other
Peculiarities.
PICTURES BY KERMIT.
He Was Able to Get Some Re.
markable Gnes.
An Angry Beast Treated Him
With Charge.

4NCW OEh, aug. <o.-ln the S0Dten1-
Der number of Scribner's magazine.
Colonel Roosevelt continues his "Afri-
can Game Trails" and tells of the
rarest and. from the naturalist's point
of view, the most interesting of his
hunting experiences on the Dark Con-
tinent. The so-called white" rhino.
which has the square nose of the hip
popotamus and hump on his shout
ders like the sacred COW, is found in
the Belgian Lado along the Nile, where
Mr.. Roosevelt was permitted to hunt
by the Belgian government. This
strange beast used to be found in
South Africa, and Mr. Roosevelt's ac-
Lado, is a record of great value. With
courage and persistence Kermit was
able to make a series of photographs
of the living rhino such as has never
been equalled.
The white Rhino of the Lado.
In describing this unusual animal
Colonel Roosevelt writes:
1.-The great beast which was the OBJ
ject of our coming to the Lado was the
square-mouthed or, as it is sometimes
miScalled, the white, rhinOceroS. Africa
is a huge continent, and many species
of the big mammals inhabiting it are
spread over a vast surface; and some
of them offer strange problems for in
quiry in the discontinuity of their dis
tribution. The most extraordinary in
stance of this discontinuity is that Of
fered by the distribution of the square
our bison had never been known with
in historic times except in Texas and
Ecuador This great rhinoceros= was
formerly plentiful in South Africa
south of the Zambesi, where it has
been completely exterminated except
- It'd xvf1r 15 q
game reserve. North of the Zambesi it
was and is utterly unknown. save that
during the last ten years 1t has been
found to exist in several localities On
the left bank of the Upper Nile, close
to the river, and covering a north ano
south extension of about two hundred
miles Even in this narrow rib
bon of territory the square-moutheo
rhinoceros is found only in certain To-
calities, and although there mas not
hitherto been much slaughter Oh the
mighty beast, it would certainly De Wen
if all killing of it were prohibited until
careful inquiry has been made as to its
numbers and exact distribution. 1t is a
curious animal on the average d1s-
tinctly larger than, and utterly d1Ier7
ent from, the ordinary African rnt-
noceros. The spinal processes OF the
dorsaI vertebrate are so developed as to
make a very prominent hump over tne
withers. while forward of this is stu
higher and more prominent he9u1
hump on the neck. The huge, ms
shapen head differs in all respects as
widely from the head of the common OF
so~caIIed black rhinoceros as the mead
of moose differs from that of a
wapiti."
Kermit Gets Pictures.
TELLING of Kermit's success in OBJ
+.;,ino some remarkable pictures, MS
father writes: .4;,r
cat last Kermit succeeded IN geelins
some good white rhino pictures. he
was out with his gunbearers and Gro
gan. They had hunted steadlly TOT
nearIv two DAYS without seeing rnlno'
then Kermit made out big COW Win
q. calf living under large tree' on a
hare plain of short grass Acconpan-
led nv Grogan, and by a gunoearer
,.rr,Tine his rifle while he himself car
ried his 'naturalist's graphlex camera,
he cot nm to within fifty or sixty yaros
of the drlll-witted beasts ana Spent al
hour cautiously maneuVerlng ana lah
ing photos. He got several pho1os- u
the cow and calf lying under the tree;
Then something, probably the Click OF
the camera, rendered them uneasy anu
thew stood up Soon the calf lay down
cain while the COW continued stand
ing on the other side of the tree, neI
head held down, the muzzle almost
touching the ground, according TO the
cT,stono Of this species. After taking
one or two more pictures Kermit eogeo
in. so as to get better ones. Gradually
the cow grew alarmed. She raised her
head. as these animals always do when
interested or excited, twisted her tall
into a tight knot, and walked out from
under the tree, followed by the calI'
She and the calf stood stern to stern
for a few seconds, and Kermit took an
other photo By this time the COW nao
become both puzzled and irr1ta1ed;
Even with her dim eyes she coulo
make out the men and the camera
and once or twice she threatened a
charge. but thought better of it. Then
she began to move off; but suddenly
wheeled and charged, this time bent on
mischief. She came on at slashlns
trot gradually increasing her pace. the
huge, square hips shaking. from side TO
side. Hoping that she would turn
Kernit shouted loudly and waited be-
fore firing until she was only ten yards
off. Then, with the Winchester, ne
nut a bullet in between her neck and
shoulder, mortal wound. She halted
ana half wheeled, and Grogan gave
her right and left, Kermit putting in
couple of additional bullets as she went