128 THE ELEPHANT 



branches, lifts the smallest objects, blows dust over itself, 

 sucks up water ; in fact, performs all the work that could 

 be expected of a pair of lusty arms. 



The jaws (Fig. io8) are ponderous objects. The upper 

 incisor teeth are tusks, the weapons of the elephant. 

 The lower jaw bears two molars of large size, ridged 



Fig. io8.— The Jaws and Teeth of an Elephant. 



transversely and filled with cement or crusta petrosa. 

 The skeleton of the elephant (Fig. 109) is massive and 

 ponderous, yet it is a very active animal for so large a 

 one. The tusks are of ivory, one of the most beautiful 

 of all the objects derived from animals and long used in 

 the arts. It is said that the people of India built ivory 

 palaces. In the ** Odyssey " we read, 



" The spoils of elephants the roofs inlay." 



