The Elephant 43 



Cunning as this elephant was, his actions displayed that 

 lack of inventiveness which Sanderson charges against the 

 race ; and this defect saved the lives of many who would 

 otherwise have been killed. If any one was out of reach in 

 a small tree, the rogue never thought of getting at him by 

 shaking its trunk. Both Sir Samuel and Captain R. N. G. 

 Baker report having seen an elephant butt at a Balanites 

 Egyptiaca when it was three feet in diameter, so that a 

 man "must have held on exceedingly tight to avoid a fall." 

 It is certain that these animals are accustomed to dislodge 

 various edibles by this means. But a change in circum- 

 stances prevented the Balaghat brute from resorting to a 

 well-known act which would have lengthened considerably 

 the list of his victims. 



Places in Africa where elephants once abounded now 

 contain none. They are less subject to epidemics than 

 many species, but suffer from climatic disorders and the 

 attacks of parasites. This, however, is not the reason 

 for their disappearance from certain localities. They 

 have fallen before firearms, or migrated in fear of 

 them. "From my own observation," says Baker, "I 

 have concluded that wild animals of all kinds will with- 

 stand the dangers of traps, pit-falls, fire, and the usual 

 methods employed for their destruction by savages, but 

 will be speedily cleared out of an extensive district by 

 firearms." 



A field naturalist coming from Africa to India, or any 

 other part of Asia, would be at once struck by the inferior 

 size, darker color, smaller ears, less massive tusks (rudimen- 

 tary in the female), and other structural differences pre- 



