OCR Text |
Show 1881.] SOUTH-AFRICAN RHINOCEROSES. 733 agreed that the animal is B. bicornis (Upeygan or Borele) ; if the second horn is from twelve inches to two feet long, they will be unanimous that it is B. keitloa (Shangainea or Keitloa); whereas if the posterior horn be neither short nor long, but just betwixt and between, they will argue for hours amongst themselves as to whether the animal be B. bicornis or B. keitloa; but their main argument is always based upon the length of the horn. Every one who has wandered over country frequented by Rhinoceroses must have noticed that the square-mouthed species leaves its dung alone, not throwing it about with its horn, nor ploughing up the ground every now and again as it walks along; whereas the Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceroses almost invariably throw their dung all over the place, sometimes ploughing up holes a foot deep with their noses and horns; and they are, too, continually making semicircular furrows in the ground as they walk along. This is done by every Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceros, irrespective of the length of the posterior horn; therefore, if there are two species, it must be conceded that their habits are exactly similar in this respect. Again, tbe Square-mouthed .Rhinoceros (B. simus) walks and runs with its nose close to the ground, whilst all Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceroses walk and run with their heads carried high in the air. A calf of the square-mouthed species always runs when small in front of its mother, whereas the small calves of all Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceroses always follow their mothers. Therefore whilst there are many and wide differences of form and habit between the Square-mouthed and all Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceroses, the habits of both species of the latter (if there be two species) are exactly similar. In conclusion, I have only to bring to your notice the series of horns which is now upon the table, and ask those gentlemen who believe that there are two distinct species of Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceroses in Southern Africa to point out where B. Bicornis ceases and B. keitloa commences. List of Horns exhiBited, and figured on Plate LXII. (I) Black Rhinoceros, 6*. Shot by J. S. Jameson and myself, near the Umniati river, North-eastern Mashuna land, August 1880. (Plate LXII. fig. 1.) (2) Black Rhinoceros, 6* • Shot by myself at T h a m m a Setjie, on the Zambesi road, November 1874. (Plate LXII. fig. 2.) (3) Black Rhinoceros, $ . Shot by J. S. Jameson on the lower Umfule, North-eastern Mashuna land, August 1880. (Plate LXII. fig. 3.) (4) Black Rhinoceros, $ . Shot by myself near the junction of the Gwai and Shangani rivers, Matabele country, September 1873. (Plate LXII. fig. 4.) (5) Black Rhinoceros, o* • Shot by J. S. Jameson near the river Umsengairi, North-eastern Mashuna land, September 1880. (Plate LXII. fig. 5.) (6) Black Rhi.ioceros, $ . Shot by H. C. Collison near the |