\r犀角\ph403.bmp\r，出永昌山谷及益州，今出南海者为上，黔蜀者次之。犀似牛，
猪首，大腹，痹脚；脚
有三
蹄，色黑。好食棘。其皮每一孔皆生三毛。顶一角，或云两角，或云三角。谨按郭璞《尔雅
》注云∶犀三角，一在顶上，一在额上，一在鼻上。鼻上者即食角也，小而不椭（音堕），
亦
有一角者。《岭表录异》曰∶犀有二角，一在额上为兕犀，一在鼻上为胡帽犀。牯犀亦有二
角，皆为毛犀，而今人多传一角之说。此数种俱有粟纹，以纹之粗细为贵贱。角之贵者，有
通天花纹，犀有此角，必自恶其影，常饮浊水，不欲照见也。其纹理绝好者，则有百物之形
。或云犀之通天者，是其病，理不可知也。纹有倒插者，有正插者，有腰鼓插者。其倒插者
，一半已下通；正插者，一半已上通；腰鼓插者，中断不通。其类极多，足为奇异。故波斯
呼象牙为白暗，犀角为黑暗，言难识别也。犀中最大者曰堕罗犀，一株有重七、八斤者，云
是牯犀额角。其花多作撒豆斑，色深者，堪带胯；斑散而色浅者，但可作器皿耳。或曰兕
是犀之雌者，未知的否？凡犀入药者，有黑、白二种，以黑者为胜，其角尖又胜。方书多言
生犀，相承谓未经水火中过者是，或谓不然。盖犀有捕得杀而取者为生犀，有得其蜕角者为
退犀，亦犹用鹿角法耳。唐相段文昌门下，医人吴士皋，因职于南海，见舶主言∶海人取犀
牛之法，先于山路多植木如猪羊栈。其犀以前脚直，常依木而息，多年植木烂，犀忽倚之，
即木折犀倒，久不能起，因格杀而取其角。又云犀每自退角，必焙土埋之。海人知处，即潜
作木寓角而易之，再三不离其处；时复有得者∶若直取之，则犀去，于别山退藏，不可寻也
。未知今之取犀角，果如此否？
犀角，出产于永昌的山谷以及益州，现在出产于南海地区的品质最佳，出产于黔地和蜀地的次之。犀牛外形像牛，长着猪一样的头，腹部巨大，腿部肌肉萎缩（痹脚）；脚上有三个蹄子，颜色是黑色的。喜欢吃荆棘类的植物。它的皮肤上每一个毛孔都长出三根毛。头顶长有一只角，也有说法说是两只角，还有说法说是三只角。仔细查阅郭璞在《尔雅》中的注释说：犀牛有三只角，一只在头顶，一只在额头，一只在鼻子上。鼻子上的那只就是用来进食的角（食角），它比较小且不呈椭圆形，也有只有一只角的犀牛。《岭表录异》记载说：犀牛有两只角，长在额头上的叫兕犀（sì xī，雌犀或独角犀），长在鼻子上的叫胡帽犀。公犀牛（牯犀）也有两只角，都属于毛犀类，而现在人们大多流传只有一只角的说法。这几种犀牛都有类似粟米的纹理，以纹理的粗细来区分贵贱。最珍贵的犀角，具有“通天花纹”，拥有这种角的犀牛，一定厌恶自己的影子，常常饮用浑浊的水，不想照见自己的倒影。纹理极其完美的，会呈现出各种万物的形状。有人说犀牛出现通天花纹，是因为生病了，其中的道理无法知晓。纹理有倒插的，有正插的，有腰鼓形插接的。倒插的，下半部分贯通；正插的，上半部分贯通；腰鼓形的，中间中断不贯通。其种类极多，足以称得上奇异。所以波斯人把象牙称为“白暗”，把犀角称为“黑暗”，意思是难以辨别区分。犀牛中最大的一种叫做堕罗犀，有一株重达七、八斤的，据说是公犀牛额头的角。其花纹多呈现为撒豆斑的样子，颜色深的，适合制作腰带扣等佩饰；斑点散开且颜色浅的，只能用来制作器皿罢了。有人说兕是雌性的犀牛，不知道是否属实？凡是入药用的犀角，有黑色和白色两种，以黑色的为优，其中犀角尖部又优于其他部位。医方书籍多提到使用生犀，相传指的是未经过火烤或水浸的是生犀，也有人认为不对。大概犀牛有捕杀后取角称为生犀的，也有获得其脱落的角称为退犀的，这也就像使用鹿角的方法一样。唐代宰相段文昌门下有一位医生叫吴士皋，因为在南海任职，听船主说：海人捕捉犀牛的方法，先在山路旁大量种植树木，像给猪羊搭建的栅栏一样。犀牛前腿伸直，经常依靠着树木休息，多年后树木腐烂，犀牛忽然倚靠上去，树木折断犀牛倒下，很久不能起身，于是被格杀并取下犀角。又说犀牛每次自己脱落角时，一定会用土焙干后埋藏起来。海人知道地点，就悄悄制作木盒装着新角替换进去，反复多次都不离开那个地方；有时也能得到这些角；如果直接去取，犀牛就会离开，到别的山里隐藏起来，就无法寻找了。不知道现在的取犀角方法，果真如此吗？
Rhinoceros Horn (Xijiao), originates from the valleys of Yongchang and Yizhou. Those currently sourced from the South Sea region are considered superior, while those from Qian and Shu regions are secondary. The rhinoceros resembles an ox, with a pig-like head, a large abdomen, and atrophied legs; its feet have three hooves and are black in color. It prefers to eat thorny plants. Each pore on its skin produces three hairs. It has one horn on the top of its head, though some say it has two horns, or even three horns. Carefully consulting Guo Pu's commentary on *Erya* states: "The rhinoceros has three horns, one on the crown, one on the forehead, and one on the nose." The one on the nose is the feeding horn (Shijiao), which is small and not oval-shaped; there are also rhinoceroses with only one horn. *Lingbiao Luyi* records that rhinoceroses have two horns: the one on the forehead is called Si Xi (Sì Xī, female rhinoceros or single-horned rhinoceros), and the one on the nose is called Hu Mao Xi (Hú Mào Xī). Male rhinoceroses (Gu Xi) also have two horns, both belonging to the hairy rhinoceros category, whereas nowadays people mostly propagate the theory of having only one horn. All these varieties possess millet-like patterns, with value determined by the coarseness or fineness of the pattern. The most prized rhinoceros horns feature "Tongtian Flower Patterns" (Tongtian Huawen); rhinoceroses possessing such horns supposedly hate their own shadows and often drink muddy water to avoid seeing their reflections. Those with exceptionally perfect textures may display shapes resembling myriad objects. Some claim that the Tongtian pattern indicates illness, but the rationale remains unknown. Patterns can be inverted-inserted, upright-inserted, or drum-waist inserted. Inverted-inserted patterns connect through the lower half; upright-inserted patterns connect through the upper half; drum-waist inserted patterns are interrupted in the middle. There are extremely many types, sufficient to be termed奇异 (qí yì, extraordinary/strange). Therefore, Persians refer to ivory as "White Dark" and rhinoceros horn as "Black Dark," implying difficulty in distinction. The largest type is called Duoluo Xi (Duō Luó Xī), with specimens weighing seven or eight jin, reportedly the frontal horn of a male rhinoceros. Its patterns often resemble scattered bean spots; those with deep colors are suitable for belt buckles, while those with scattered spots and light colors are merely suitable for making vessels. Some say Si refers to female rhinoceroses, but it is unknown if this is true. For medicinal use, there are black and white rhinoceros horns, with black being superior, and the horn tip being the best part. Medical texts often mention using raw rhinoceros horn (Sheng Xi), traditionally understood as unprocessed by fire or water, though others disagree. Generally, rhinoceros horn obtained by hunting and killing is called raw horn, while shed horns are called retreated horn (Tui Xi), similar to the usage of deer antlers. Wu Shigao, a physician under the Tang Dynasty Chancellor Duan Wenchang, stated during his tenure in the South Sea that he heard ship captains describe the method of capturing rhinoceroses: first, trees are planted densely along mountain paths like pens for pigs or sheep. Rhinoceroses rest against these trees with their front legs straightened. After years, the trees rot; when a rhinoceros leans against them, the tree breaks, causing the rhinoceros to fall and become unable to rise, leading to its death and subsequent horn extraction. It is also said that rhinoceroses naturally shed their horns and bury them in baked soil. Locals who know the location secretly replace the shed horn with a wooden replica housed in a wooden container, repeating this process without the animal leaving the area; occasionally, these replaced horns are retrieved. If taken directly, the rhinoceros flees to other mountains to hide, making it impossible to track. It is unknown whether current methods of obtaining rhinoceros horn truly follow this practice.