132 THE ELEPHANT 



elephant has always been a conspicuous feature, and the 

 kings and emperors of old maintained armies of hundreds 

 of elephants which they equipped in the most gorgeous 

 fashion. In times of war the tusks were fitted with 

 daggers of steel or iron and the bodies protected with 

 armor of leather and iron. In Siam the white elephant is 

 held in reverence by some. It finds a place upon the flag, 

 and the animals are kept with the greatest care. These 

 elephants are merely albinos and are pink or splashed 

 with pink, the term " white " conveying a very erroneous 

 impression. Pygmy elephants existed in former times. 

 One from Malta was three feet high, and its young must 

 have been about the size of a cat. Dwarf elephants are 

 occasionally seen to-day. 



