ELEPHAS. 387 
of water, and further research in this direction is desirable. Most of 
the dissections hitherto made have been of young and immature speci- 
mens. Dy. Watson’s investigations have thrown some light on the way 
in which the water is withdrawn, which differs from Dr. Harrison’s 
conclusions, which are quoted by Sir Emerson Tennent. Dr. Watson 
says regarding this power of withdrawal: “It is evident that were the 
throat of this animal similar to that of other mammals, this could not 
be accomplished, as the insertion of a bedy, such as the trunk, so far 
into the pharynx as to enable the constrictor muscles of that organ to 
grasp it, would at once give rise to a paroxysm of coughing; or, were 
the trunk merely inserted into the mouth, it would be requisite that this 
cavity be kept constantly filled with water, at the same time that the 
lips closely encircled the inserted trunk. The formation of the mouth 
of the elephant, however, is such as to prevent the trunk ever being 
grasped by the lips so as effectually to stop the entrance of air into the 
cavity, and thus at once, if I may so express it, the pump action of the 
trunk is completely paralysed. We find, therefore, that it is to some 
modification of the throat that we must look for an explanation of the 
function in question.” He then goes on to explain minutely the 
anatomical details of the apparatus of the throat, which I will endea- 
vour to sketch as simply, though clearly, as I can. The superior 
aperture of the pharynx is extremely narrow, so much so as to admit, 
with difficulty, the passage of a closed fist ; but immediately behind this 
the pharynx dilates into a large pouch capable of containing a certain 
quantity of fluid—according to Dr. Watson a considerable quantity ; but 
this is open to question. Professor Miall states that in the young spe- 
cimen examined by him and Mr. Greenwood, a pint was the capacity 
of the pouch. However, according to Dr. Watson, it is capable of 
distention to a certain extent. The pouch is prolonged forward beneath 
the root of the tongue, which forms the anterior boundary, whilst the 
posterior wall is completed by depression of the soft palate; when the 
latter is elevated the pouch communicates freely with the cesophagus, 
I omit Dr. Watson’s minute description of the anatomy of this part in 
detail, which the reader who cares to study the matter more deeply can 
find in his ‘Contributions to the Anatomy of the Indian Elephant,’ 
* Journal of Anatomy and Physiology,’ 1871-74, but proceed to quote 
some of his deductions from the observations made: “An elephant 
can,” he says, “as the quotations sufficiently prove, withdraw water from 
his stomach in two ways—first, it may be regurgitated directly into the 
nasal passages by the action of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, 
the soft palate being at the same time depressed, so as to prevent the 
passage of water into the mouth. Having in this manner filled the 
large nasal passages communicating with the trunk, the water contained 
in them is then forced through the trunk by means of a powerful 
2 Cue 
