The Indian or Asiatic Elephant 



assert the existence of such creatures and call them 

 * makanians.' There was an elephant belonging to the 

 Rameswaram Temple a tew years ago which was said 

 to be one of this class. It had tusks, but they were set 

 vertically, almost touching the ground, and the whole 

 shape of the animal was abnormal." 



The evidence adduced in these extracts as to the 

 marked distinction of the great majority of Cingalese 

 elephants from those of the mainland, and the suggestion 

 made to account for the presence of a certain number 

 of tuskers in the island, are certai;ily worthy the 

 consideration of naturalists. Unfortunately there is no 

 evidence that Indian elephants were at any time 

 imported into Ceylon, and as the introduction (assuming 

 it to have taken place) must have occurred at a date 

 comparatively remote, it is unlikely that such evidence 

 will ever be forthcoming. Whether elephants could 

 have been carried across the Palk Straits in native craft, 

 or whether they could have crossed by swimming via 

 the so-called Adam's Bridge, it is not easy to say ; but 

 Mr, Clark's suggestion certainly offers an explanation of 

 the facts which does not appear to present insuperable 

 difficulties. Provisionally accepting this explanation, 

 there seems evidence in favour of regarding the 

 Cingalese elephant as a distinct local race, of which 

 the proper name is Elephas maximus zeylanicus. This 

 presumed race will be characterised by the absence of 

 large tusks in the males, and the peculiarities in the 

 form of the head referred to by Mr, Clark, 



The statement as to the Cingalese tuskless elephants 

 being larger than the tuskers seems to require a little 

 modification ; for, according to Mr. H, Storey, it is only 

 in the Tawankaduwa district of the island that there 

 exists a large herd of tuskless elephants, some ot which 

 reach, it is said, a height of nearly ten feet, whereas 

 elsewhere a heig-ht of nine feet is uncommon. 

 Whether these Tawankaduwa giants indicate a second 

 Ceylon race, has yet to be determined. 



15 



