The Washington times., 1922-04-16

.When the rhinOceros Is angry he is Ike
ly to remain angry for weeks. On the
other hand, fortunately, when he is pleased
he stays that way equally long Intelli-
gent keepers had discovered that nothing
pleased "Bill" more than being tickled at
a certain spot behind the ears That is
where his friend the bird tickles him.
AS the time for cutting the horn drew
near the keeper devoted every morning to
getting "Bill'' into good humor. He fed
the animal twenty pounds of juicy beets
beyond his ordinary breakfast Then,
armed with a large wire brush he started
to scrub the brute behind the ears
."Bill'' almost gurgled with pleasure. For
two weeks this treatment was kept up
until he was in a perfectly sweet temper.
Next the keeper alternately raped the
horn and welded the brush so that the
animal would associate the two centres.
Then one morning, after the keeper had
finished tickling bill" with the wire-brush
: he tactfully produced two-foot meat saw
and started saving off his horn. The
rhinoceros was so much occupied with his
other pleasures that for half an hour he
aid not notice that part of his head was
being sawed of.
After that half hour some horn dust
dropped into the animals eye He began
to move his head and the man with the
saw had TO make his escape. Next morn
ing the operation was resumed again after
the usual endearments. This time the tip
was sawed off completely
Now there remained a rough, circular
surface with a sharp edge. The beasts
nose could not be left in this condition.
Next morning, after the customary pet
ting. the keeper took a fulI-sized farrier's
rasp and filed off the sharp edge surround
ing the stump of the horn.
On the following day the keeper, after
making "Bilf' happy as before, went TO
work with sandpaper and carefully pol
ished the stump of the horn. BY this
clever method, working from an hour to
half an hour at time for two weeks the
keeper got the Thinoceros's horn in a con-
dftion in which 1t would not hurt him.
The piece of horn removed weighed four
pounds and measured FIVE inches across
at the base. II has to be cut off everv
year. and the operation was performed
Just before "Bill" was placed on exhibition
before an interested public at Madison
Square Garden
The Indian rhinoceros's four-inch.tbick
skin is arranged in sections like ancient
armor and protects him so effectively that
mere Is no animal on earth that can hurt
hlm. indeed, 1t is said that he can kill
an elephant or tiger as easily as he can
tear up big tree. With his armor and his
1000 pounds of bone and muscle his
charge is Irresistible.
The armor shows the rhinoceros,s evoIu.
tfonary relationship to other classes of
snlmals For instance, the rhinoceros rep
[esents stage between the crab, which
mas nara shell instead OF skeleton, and
the ordinary mammal which has a hard
skeleton and a soft outside. Tho only
other existing mammal that has a sbeII 70
the curious armadillo, and even he Is less
prehistoric than the rhinoceros.
This one-horned rhinpceros is now
stated on excellent scientific authority to
be the original of the mysterious unicorn.
so often mentioned in the Bible and other
ancient records. The Book of Numbers.
for instance, says: HE hath as II were
the strength of an unicorn"
The writer's of the Bible had doubtless
heard reports concerning the one-horned
rnlnoceros from distant parts of Asia and
Africa and correctly called IL a "unicorn"
or zone, horn" They heard of fits terrific
strength, but they could scarcely have
seen one or obtained much exact informa-
tion about II Hence their rather vague
and mysterious descriptions.
In time the unicorn became a symbol of
virtue, strength and innocence. Its horn
when powdered was said to be a remedy
for every disease. When the great. Pope
Gregory XIV. was dying, in $780, the Mon
astery of st. Mary Of Guadeloupe sent him
a unicorns horn from among fits treasures.
The tip OF the horn was actually sawed
off and administered to the Pope. but II
failed to save him. This horn is now pre-
served in the New York Museum OF Nat