THE ELEPHANTS INTELLIGENCE EXAGGERATED. 79 



with pleasure. Many of the stories about it are intended for the edification 

 of little folks, and as such are well enough ; but in a sober inquiry into 

 the mental capacity of the animal they must be duly examined. 



One of the strongest features in the domesticated elephant's character 

 is its obedience. It may also be readily taught, as it has a large share of 

 the ordinary cultivable intelligence common in a greater or less degree to all 

 animals. But its reasoning faculties are undoubtedly far below those of 

 the dog, and possibly of other animals ; and in matters beyond the range of 

 its daily experience it evinces no special discernment. Whilst quick at 

 comprehending anything sought to be taught to it, the elephant is decidedly 

 wanting in originality. 



What an improbable story is that of the elephant and the tailor, wherein 

 the animal, on being pricked with a needle instead of being fed with sweet- 

 meats as usual, is represented as having deliberately gone to a pond, filled 

 its trunk with dirty water, and returned and squirted it over the tailor and 

 his work ! This story accredits the elephant with appreciating the fact that 

 dirty water thrown over his work would be the peculiar manner in which 

 to annoy a tailor. Is such a feat of reason possible in any beast ? How 

 has he acquired the knowledge of the incongruity of the two things — dirty 

 water and clean linen ? He delights in water himself, and would therefore 

 be unlikely to imagine it objectionable to another. 



An incident which I saw narrated in a book as having been observed 

 by an officer in India is palpably disentitled to belief. It was to the effect 

 that a gunner, whilst seated on one of the heavy guns in a column of 

 artillery on the march, fell off, and would have been crushed under the 

 wheel in another moment, when an elephant, in attendance on the guns, 

 perceiving the man's danger, seized the wheel, lifted it over his prostrate 

 body, and put it down on the other side of him ! How did the elephant 

 know that a wheel going over the man would not be agreeable to him ? 

 We comprehend it as it is a matter within the range of our experience ; 

 but could the elephant imagine himself in the man's place, and therefore 

 understand what his sufferings would be if crushed under the wheel ? 

 Would a Newfoundland dog — certainly a more intelligent creature than 

 an elephant — rescue a child from drowning if it had never been taught to 

 bring objects to the bank ? And if totally untrained, and not even accom- 

 panied by its master — in fact, quite uninfluenced, as the elephant in 

 the story is represented to have been — is it possible to believe it capaWe 

 of such an effort of intellect as to understand the danger of a person 

 drowning, and the necessity for prompt assistance ? If the elephant were 

 possessed of the amount of discernment with which he is commonly credited, 



