734 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



evident that the external, nail-Uke hoofs are no indication 

 of any real differences in bone structure. 



There is a large sexual difference in size in the East 

 African elephant, the males being in bulk fully a third 

 greater than the females. In weight such difference 

 amounts to approximately two tons, the adult female attain- 

 ing an approximate weight of four tons and a large male 

 six tons. The female averages in height at the withers 

 lyi feet less than the male and is correspondingly less in 

 size of skull, ears, and other dimensions generally. The 

 sexual differences in size of tusks, however, do not follow 

 this proportion, but they are much less in the female, being 

 only a fourth the weight and size of those of the male. 



Much uncertainty apparently exists among sportsmen 

 concerning the possible height to which the African elephant 

 may attain. The recorded heights of large male specimens 

 measured in the flesh by elephant hunters range from lo 

 to 12 feet. The differences between these extremes, how- 

 ever, do not represent the actual variation in specimens, 

 but rather discrepancies due to differences in methods of 

 taking measurements. Some of the difficulty of measure- 

 ment is due to the immense bulk of a bull elephant, which 

 prevents the body from being moved into a position favor- 

 able for taking the height unless the animal has fallen on a 

 level surface in such a way that the legs can be straightened. 

 The tallest record which appears authentic to us is that of 

 Major Powell-Cotton's of ii feet 6]/^ inches for a bull 

 elephant which he shot near the station of Wadelai, on the 

 upper Nile. Major Powell-Cotton has made many careful 

 measurements of elephants in the flesh, and his measure- 

 ments may be taken as fairly reliable. Mr. E. S. Grogan, 

 while engaged on his "Cape to Cairo" journey, shot a simi- 

 larly large bull elephant near the same locality, which he 

 has recorded as ii feet 6 inches high at the withers. The 

 tallest bull shot by Carl E. Akeley, who has recently devoted 

 a number of years in East Africa to the securing of a giant 

 specimen, was one measuring ii feet 4 inches at the withers 

 from the Budonga forest. He has measured others having 

 a height of 1 1 feet 2 inches from Uganda and one from Kenia, 

 the latter bearing immense tusks weighing 250 pounds and 

 now mounted in the Field Museum of Chicago. We know 



