2 U'i/,/ /uns/s 



inpj to extol tlu' lu'in^volciUH" ot a boiiij; \vlu\ it Dlhcrvvisc 

 ci>nsli(iili\l, ini;;ht have done so imuh hann. 



Oriental, classic, inciliaval, aiul modem superstitions 

 cluster about the elephant. Tliny ami yMlian often seem 

 to be niockiui; at popular credulity. " Wilcf stusii ct reli- 

 i/iii^ siiiidi'itdti' iiii^YNii fxctllit i/cf'/nts'' says Aristotle, and 

 Strabo writes in the same strain, (">ne mi^ht nearly as 

 well takt^ the verses ot Martial toi" a text-book as seek 

 intormalion amon<;' those errors anil extravagancies of antiq- 

 uity whicli X'artomannus brou_i;ht {o a climax. 



It is no longer said that elephants who, to use Colonel 

 Ibarras' words ("India and riL;er lluntini;"), "are practi- 

 cally sterile in cai^ix'itv," are so because of their nunlesty, 

 ox that this is attributable to a ntibleness of soul which 

 prevents them from i)roiKii;atini;" a race of slaves. Men 

 wmdil now be ashamcil to sav they are nionotheists, ami 

 retire ti> solitudes to jiray. Hut so little of comparative 

 psvchoU><;"y is known, and the side lij;hts which other 

 sciences throw upon zoology arc so much disregardcil, 

 that no hesitation is felt at comparing them with human 

 beings, or measuring the faculties and feelings of a beast 

 bv standards set up in civilized society. 



The elephant is a social animal ; in all herds the units 

 are family grcnips where several generations are often 

 rciMcscnted, and when the larger aggregate dissolves, it 

 separates into family groups again. With this statement, 

 anvthing like unanimity of ojMuion among authorities upon 

 elephants is at an cntl. 



It is said th.it vears bring moroseness upon elephants, 

 and that anv evil tenilencies they exhibit in youth are 



