Smell. 2 7 



noises, and the timidity and panic exhibited at trivial 

 objects and incidents which, imperfectly discerned, excite 

 suspicions for its safety.' In 1841 an officer ^ was chased 

 by an elephant that he had slightly wounded. Seizing 

 him near the dry bed of a river, the animal had its fore- 

 foot already raised to crush him ; but its forehead being 

 touched at the same instant by the tendrils of a climbing 

 plant which had suspended itself from the branches 

 above, it suddenly turned and fled ; leaving him badly 

 hurt, but with no limb broken. I have heard similar in- 

 stances, equally well attested, of this peculiarity in the 

 character of the elephant. 



On the other hand, the power of smell is so remark- 

 able as almost to compensate for the deficiency of sight. 

 A herd is not only apprised of the approach of danger 

 by this means, but when scattered in the forest, and dis- 

 persed out of range of sight, they are enabled by it to 

 reassemble with rapidity and to adopt precautions for 

 their common safety. The same necessity is met by a 

 delicate sense of hearing, and the use of a variety of 

 noises or calls, by means of which elephants succeed in 

 communicating with each other upon all emergencies. 

 " The sounds which they utter have been described by 

 the African hunters as of three kinds : the first, which is 

 very shrill, produced by blowing through the trunk, is 

 indicative of pleasure ; the second, produced by the 

 mouth, is expressive of want ; and the third, proceeding 



' Menageries, etc. " The Elephant," this singular adventure will be found in 

 p. 27 the Ceylon M iscellany for 1842, vol. i. 



- Major Rogers. An account of p. 221. 



