The Elephant 21 



What we know of social groups among elephants is that 

 they are unlike those formed by mankind. It is doubtful 

 whether the family, properly so-called, primarily exists in 

 human society, and whether it is not a later combination 

 instituted upon the basis of common possessions. Starcke 

 ("The Primitive Family") holds that such is the case, 

 and his view has not been shown to be incorrect. If this 

 is true, to compare these congregations is to place lower 

 animals by the side of human beings who have already 

 taken an important step in advance. As a matter of fact, 

 the qualities by which such groups are united among 

 mankind, are to a great extent wanting with elephants. 

 They cannot be wholly absent, but they are inconspicu- 

 ous and obscured by disaggregative tendencies. As life 

 advances, age -does not bring with it a fruition of those 

 tendencies upon which family ties depend ; time only tends 

 to exaggerate everything that is unsocial in the brute's 

 nature. 



Many conclusions respecting the intellect and emotional 

 character of elephants have been drawn from untrust- 

 worthy anecdotes. It is in an uncritical spirit that Pro- 

 fessor Robinson (" Under the Sun ") reports the behavior 

 of that famous tusker who bore the imperial standard on 

 some old Mogul-Mahratta battle-field. The day had gone 

 against his side, the color-guard was scattered, broken squad- 

 rons swept past the elephant, and his mahout was dead. 

 He stood fast, however, and finally the retreating forces ral- 

 lied around him, and the field was retrieved. Taken liter- 

 ally, his conduct amounted to this ; namely, that his keeper 

 whom he was accustomed to obey, ordered him to stand 



