Newman, E., 1874. Rhinoceros sondaicus at the Zoological Gardens. Zoologist (2) 9: 3949-3952
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Taxonomy |
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Javan Rhino |
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'I must frankly confess that I have only quite recently discriminated the two one-horned species, fancying, as a matter of course, that the numerous skulls of single-horned rhinoceroses in the Society's Museum from the Bengal Sundarbans, &c., especially the broad-faced type, were necessarily of the hitherto-reputed sole Indian species. F. Cuvier's figure of R. sondaicus is that of a very young animal, and, with those of Horsfield and S. M?ller, conveys the appearance of a more evenly tessellated hide than I remember to have seen in any livinct continental example. I have, however, been comparing our stuffed Sundarban example (less than half-grown) with the figure of the adult R. indicus in the 'Menagerie du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle,' and with the figures of R.sondaicus by S. M?ller and others, and perceive that it must be referred to the latter and not to the former. The tubercles of the hide are much than in R. indicus, and a marked difference between the two species, as represented, onsists in the great skinfold at the setting on of the head of R. indicus, which is at most but indicated in R. sondaicus. In skulls of adults, however, those of both species may vary in width and especially in breadth anteriorly, the following distinctions are trenchant. Length of skull, from middle of occiput to tip of united nasals, in R. indicus 2 feet (half an inch more or less); in R. sondaicus 1 3/4 foot at most. Height of condyle of lower jaw in R. indicus 1 foot or even a trifle more; in R. sondaicus 9 inches. Breadth of bony interspace between the tusks of the lower jaw in R. indicus 1 ? inch to 1 3/4 inch; in R. sondaicus 3/4 inch to 1 inch. These measurements are taken from exceedingly fine examples of both species.'
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Rhinoceros sondaicus at the Zoological Gardens
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