[Three Hundred Animals Contents]
SO called because of the horn on his nose, is bred in India and Africa; he is of a dark slate colour, and is inferior to no one but the elephant, he measures about twelve feet in length, but has short legs. His skin, which is not penetrable by any weapon, is folded upon his body in the manner represented in the figure above; his eyes are small and half closed, and the horn on his nose is so sharp, and of so hard a nature that it is said to pierce though iron and stone. He is perfectly indocile and untractable; a natural enemy to the elephant, to whom he often gives battle, and is said never to go out of his way, but that he will rather stop to destroy the obstacles which offer to retard his course, than to turn about; he lives on the grossest vegetables, and frequents the banks of rivers and marshy grounds; his hoofs are divided into four claws, and it is reported that he grunts like a hog, which he resembles in many points as to shape and habits. The female produces but one at a time, and during the first month, the young Rhinoceros is not bigger than a large dog.
