The Washington herald., 1913-10-05
CHASE OF White RHINOCEROS
IS DESCRIBED BY NATURALIST

aid placed on the shoulders OF four men
for transport. II weighed 900 pounds.
The skin OF the rhinoceros calf weighed
less than half as much, and made a
bundle proportionateIy smaller.
TaII Grass Hides Game.
The tall grass hid the game from view
and incidentally interfered with track.
ing. Accordingly. fire was set to IL, ana II
was burned over a wide area. This Jeff
a soft film Of black ashes covering the
ground. in which tracks were easily dis
tinguishable. The colonel and his SOM
followed three tracks. and finally came
up with a family consisting of a bull
rhino, his mate, and a half-grown calf.
The bull was wounded by Kermit. andI
killed by his father as IL bolted toward
the shooting party in a dazed condition.
The calf. bewildered, came back to thu
dead bull while the hunters were prepak
ing to measure the great beast. II was
not wanted, however and so was fright
ened away by shouting and hand-cIap-
ping.
The afternoon was spent in skinninu
the bull. Next day the colonel shot two
more Rhinestone Of them a large male,
which was photographed before il was
killed. When they returned to camp that
evening the colonel and his son were SO
blackened by the ashes of the burned
grass that in complexion they were in
distinguishable from the negroes accom-
panying them.
A bleached rhinoceros skeleton and
several skulls were found on the veIdt
in excellent condition. The preservation
of the skulls was due to their great size
and the hardness OF the bone. which had
prevented such bone-crushing carnivores
as hyenas from breaking them up.
Roosevelt Starts Out.
A few days later Col. Roosevelt and
Kermit went on a camera hunt for white
rhinoceroses. Coming across a female
with calf nearly fun grown, Kermit
tried to take photographs Of them. THIS
light was unfavorable. however, and at
length the female, becoming irritated,
charged Kermit. who shot her. she gar
ried an unborn young one.
Subsequently, while hunting elephants.
the colonel met one rhinoceros and
killed It. In all were obtained six COM
plete specimens skeletons and entire
skins). and, in addition, three heads
not reckoning the unborn young one,
which was useful for scientific purposes
These were all that were required to
make a satisfactory series for the
Smithsonian Institution.
The white rhinoCeros is remarkably
lnear-sighted; it cannot see well beyond
thirty yards. It has an extraordinarily
keen sense of smell. When made aware
by this means of the nearness of an
enemy, the animal moves about nervous
ly.> twists its tail into a knot. cocks its
ears at various angles, and Sazes about
in bewildered manner with head erect.
Then it bolts or trOts away. When NOR
tally wounded, it utters a series Of
squealing grunts.
1t is not a beautiful creature. though
impressive Naked of covering. il has
no hair except along the edges Of its
ears and at the end OF it's tail. Its
flesh. especially the hump. is described
by Col Roosevelt as excellent for eating,
Evidently it breeds much more rapidly,
than was supposed; for a family party
of white rhinoceroses usually includes
one well-grown calf and another very
young one-unless in cases where the
mother is soon to give birth 10 or
spring.
RENE BACHE