5 oo THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



1. Amiability, which guarantees security to his human associates. 



2. Patience, or submission to discipline and training. 



3. Courage, which gives self-confidence and steadiness. 



4. A disposition to obedience, with cheerfulness. 



Before entering upon a discussion of the intellectual powers and 

 moral qualities of the elephant in accordance with the outlines just 

 given, I wish to state that in matters involving facts I shall confine 

 myself strictly to my own observations made on Elephas Indicus, ex- 

 cept where otherwise stated. A point to which we ask special atten- 

 tion from beginning to end is, that in endeavoring to estimate the 

 mental capacity of the elephant, we shall base no arguments upon any 

 particularly intelligent individual of a given race or species, as is al- 

 ways done in discussions of intelligence in the dog, the cat, the horse, 

 parrot, and ape. On the contrary, it is the intention to reveal the 

 mental capacity of every elephant living, tame or wild, of both the 

 Indian and African species, except a few individuals with diseased 

 minds. It is not to be shown how successfully an elephant has been 

 taught by man, but how all elephants in captivity have been taught, 

 and what every wild elephant is known to be capable of. In endeavor- 

 ing to determine the mental status of the dog, horse, cat, ape, or ele- 

 phant, or even human beings, the average intelligence of all the mem- 

 bers of an entire species, or at least an entire race, should be the ob- 

 jective point of the inquiry. 



Under the head of intellectual qualities we have first to consider 

 the elephant's 



Poioers of Independent Observation and Reasoning, or Reasoning 



from Cause to Effect. 



While many wonderful stories are related of the elephant's sagaci- 

 ty and independent powers of reasoning, it must be admitted that an 

 indefinitely greater number of much more wonderful anecdotes are 

 told on equally good authority of dogs. But the circumstances in the 

 case are wholly to the advantage of the dog, and against the ele- 

 phant. While the former roams at will through his master's house 

 and out-door premises, through town and country, mingling freely 

 with all kinds of men and domestic animals, with unlimited time and 

 liberty to lay plans and execute them, the elephant in captivity is 

 chained to a stake, with no liberty of action whatever, aside from eat- 

 ing and drinking, and amusing himself by swaying his body, swinging 

 one foot, or switching his tail. Such a ponderous beast can not be 

 allowed to roam at large among human beings, and he never leaves 

 his stake and chain except under the guidance of his mahout, who 

 directs his every act. There is no telling what wonderful powers of 

 reasoning captive elephants might develop if they could only enjoy 

 the freedom accorded all dogs, except the blood-hound, bull-dog, and 

 a few others. 



