The Base Forms An
Exceedingly Shallow Cup, And Much Resembles The Heart Of An
Artichoke When The Leaves Have Been Picked Off.
The teeth are
very peculiar, as the molars have a projecting cutting edge on
the exterior side; thus the jaws when closed form a pair of
shears, as the projecting edges of the upper and lower rows
overlap:
This makes a favourable arrangement of nature to enable
the animal to clip off twigs and the branches upon which it
feeds, as, although it does not absolutely refuse grass, the
rhinoceros is decidedly a wood eater. There are particular bushes
which form a great attraction, among these is a dwarf mimosa with
a reddish bark: this tree grows in thick masses, which the
rhinoceros clips so closely that it frequently resembles a
quickset hedge that has been cut by the woodman's shears. These
animals are generally seen in pairs, or the male, female, and
calf; the mother is very affectionate, and exceedingly watchful
and savage. Although so large an animal, the cry is very
insignificant, and is not unlike the harsh shrill sound of a
penny trumpet. The drinking hour is about 8 P.M. or two hours
after sunset, at which time the rhinoceros arrives at the river
from his daily retreat, which is usually about four miles in the
interior. He approaches the water by regular paths made by
himself, but not always by the same route; and, after drinking,
he generally retires to a particular spot beneath a tree that has
been visited upon regular occasions; in such places large heaps
of dung accumulate. The hunters take advantage of this
peculiarity of the rhinoceros, and they set traps in the path to
his private retreat; but he is so extremely wary, and so acute is
the animal's power of scent, that the greatest art is necessary
in setting the snare. A circular hole about two feet deep and
fifteen inches in diameter is dug in the middle of his run, near
to the tree that has been daily visited; upon this hole is placed
a hoop of tough wood arranged with a vast number of sharp spikes
of a strong elastic wood, which, fastened to the rim, meet in the
centre, and overlap each other as would the spokes of a wheel in
the absence of the nave, if lengthened sufficiently. We will
simplify the hoop by calling it a wheel without a centre, the
spokes sharpened and overlapping the middle. The instrument being
fitted neatly above the hole, a running noose of the strongest
rope is laid in the circle upon the wheel; the other extremity of
the rope is fastened to the trunk of a tree that has been felled
for that purpose, and deeply notched at one end to prevent the
rope from slipping. This log, which weighs about five or six
hundredweight, is then buried horizontally in the ground, and the
entire trap is covered with earth and carefully concealed; the
surface is smoothed over with a branch instead of the hand, as
the scent of a human touch would at once be detected by the
rhinoceros.
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