Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/306

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290 RHINOCEROS at midnight at fountains, and that these birds, imagining "chukuroo" was asleep, would re- main until morning, and on his approaching, before taking flight, would try to awaken him from his deep sleep. The rhinoceros played an important part among the animals of the ter- tiary and diluvial epochs, numerous species of great size occupying cold countries of Europe, where they now could not exist. Since 1781 many fragments have been found in Germany, Italy, France, England, and Russia. A few spe- cies have been detected in the lower miocene of France, of which the R. tapirinua (Pomel), of the size of a tapir, belonged to Kaup's group of acerotherium, characterized by two large incisors in each jaw, four toes on the anterior feet, and probably a very small, if any, nasal horn. In the upper miocene of France and Germany occur many species which De Blain- ville has united into- the single R. inciivu, without bony partition between the nostrils, with two large incisors in each jaw and three toes on each foot. In the pliocene of France and England are species without bony nasal par- tition and with moderate incisors, like the R. megarhinug (Cuv.). The best known fossil species is the R. tichorhinus (Cuv.), of the di- luvial deposits of Siberia and the most of Eu- rope, contemporary with the mammoth. The most remarkable specimen was found in 1731 in arctic Siberia by a hunter ; the body was well preserved and half buried in the frozen sand, in lat. 64 N. ; it was 11$ ft. long, with a skin like leather covered with short hair ; the na- sal bones were curved in front of the nose to unite with the intermaxillaries, and the par- tition between the nostrils was bony to the extremity, giving greater solidity to the nose for the support of the two large horns, which were further separated than in the living spe- cies; the incisors fell out in the adults, and the symphysis of the lower jaw was very long ; coming nearest to the R. bicornis of Africa, it had a longer and narrower cranium, more bulky body, and shorter and stouter limbs. It occurs in diluvial sands, in caverns, and in bone breccia. This genus has also been found in the tertiary and diluvial deposits of Asia; Cautley and Falconer describe four species among the Sivalik hills of northern Hindostan. The most singular fact in connection with the geological distribution of the rhinoceros is its occurrence during the diluvial period in America, like the elephant not now existing on this continent; several species differing from R. tichorhinus are described by Profs. Leidy, Marsh, and others, from the tertiary of Ne- braska, Texas, the upper Missouri, California, and the neighoring territories. The genus ela- motherium of Fischer probably comes near if not in the rhinoceros family ; judging from the teeth, and the size, form, and thickness of jaw, it must have been an animal of heavy propor- tions, with the size and habits of the rhinoce- ros, and essentially herbivorous ; it was found in Siberia. The family brontotheridcs, so fully described by Profs. Marsh and Cope, from the miocene of Colorado and the adjoining terri- tories, seems to have combined some of the characters of the rhinoceros and elephant, which succeeded them in the pliocene period. RHINOCEROS HORNBILL. See HORNBILL. RHINOPLASTY. See AUTOPLASTY. RHIZOPODS. See FOBAMINIFERA, GLOBIQB- 1:1 N A, and PROTOZOA. RHODE ISLAND, one of the thirteen original states of the American Union and one of the New England states, the smallest of the 37 of which the Union is now composed. It is bounded N. and E. by Massachusetts, S. by the Atlantic ocean, and W. by Connecticut, and lies between lat. 41 9' and 42 3' N., and Ion. 71 8' and 71 53' W. ; extreme length N. and S. 47i m., greatest breadth E. and W. 40 m. ; area, 1,306 sq. m. It is divided into five coun- ties : Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington. These are subdivided into two cities, Providence (pop. in 1876, 100,675) and State Seal of Rhode Island. Newport (pop. 14,028), and 84 towns. Provi- dence and Pawtucket, which had 68,904 and 6,619 inhabitants respectively in 1870, have since received territory from North Provi- dence. The largest towns are Pawtucket (pop. in 1875, 18,464), Woonsocket (18,576), War- wick (11,614), Lincoln (11,565), Bristol (5,829), Cranston (5,688), Westerly (5,408), Burrillville (5,249), Johnston (4,999), Coventry (4,580), and South Kingstown (4,240). The population of Rhode Island in 1730 was 17,935 ; in 1755, 40,414; in 1770, 59,678. According to the federal enumerations, it has been as follows : CENSUSES. Whit.. Frw, colored. Slave. Aggregate. 1790 64,470 6MM 78,214 79.418 98,621 105.&S7 148,878 170,649 212,219 8,407 8,804 8,609 8,554 8,561 8,288 8,670 8,952 4,980 948 880 108 4S 17 6 03,825 69,122 76.981 88,059* 97,199 108,880 147,545 174,620 217,858 1800 1810 1820 1880 ,... 1840 1850 I860 1870

  • Including 44 persons not classified.