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Show 1867.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE RHINOCEROTIDAE. 1003 bolclii on which Dr. Bowerbank made his observations, stating that the bark was smooth and the polypes of an oblong form as in H. lusitanicum. It is simply a specimen of the Japanese coral from which the bark has been stripped off, and then again artificially attached to the axis, the bark having lost its external granular coat in the process, so that only the smooth inner layer of the bark is shown. The external form of the polypes has been altered in the manipulation ; and I am convinced, from the irregular form that they exhibit, that if the specimen were soaked in water the animal would assume its regular circular form, and be exactly like the animal of the other Japanese specimen. I have seen some others similarly artificially altered. They are very unlike the close, regular, oblong-shaped animal of H. lusitanicum; and I am convinced that if Dr. Bowerbank had seen the type specimen of the latter before he wrote his paper he would not have made such a mistake. 11. Observations on the Preserved Specimens and Skeletons of the Rhinocerotida? in the Collection of the British M u s e u m and Royal College of Surgeons, including the Descriptions of Three N e w Species. By Dr. J. E . G R A Y , F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., &c. The Rhinocerotes of Asia and Africa are known by the conformation of their jaws. The African species are easily distinguished by the form of the head and of their nose-horns. The species of Asia, on the other hand, are very difficult to separate from each other by any external character, and are only to be characterized by the form of their skulls and the locality which they inhabit, each zoological district having a peculiar species; and very probably there are yet species to be described, as the Rhinoceroses of China, of Beloochistan, and other countries have not been examined by zoologists. The British Museum contains a good series of preserved specimens of this family, and a large series of skeletons, skulls, and horns; and there is also a very rich collection of skulls from different localities in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons,-the two collections affording good materials for the revision of the species of this group. I have to thank the Council of the College of Surgeons, and Mr. Flower, the energetic Curator of their Museum, for their kindness in allowing m e to examine the skulls in their collection. In the British Museum there are specimens of five species, viz. one R. unicornis and two R. javanicus from Asia, and four specimens from Africa (viz. two R. bicornis, one R. simus, and one R. keitloa), the three latter species being the animals that were collected and preserved under the superintendence of Sir Andrew Smith. The Indian species (R. unicornis) has been often figured from life, amongst others by Dr. Parsons, in the 'Phil. Trans.' 1742, 1 743, t. I, 2; R. sumatranus by Mr. Bell from life in tbe ' Philoso* |