The Indian or Asiatic Elephant 



When, for instance, the animal is standing tacing the 

 sportsman in the ordinary position the point at which 

 to aim is situated in the middle line of the forehead 

 about three inches above the plane of the eyes. On the 

 other hand, if the elephant is in the act of charging, the 

 front shot must be planted lower down, near the base 

 of the trunk ; and since the bullet has then to traverse 

 a much greater thickness before entering the brain- 

 chamber, high penetrative power on the part of the 

 projectile is of the utmost importance ; moreover, a 

 very slight error in the aim will render this shot 

 ineffectual. When the sportsman is on one side of 

 the elephant, the temple-shot is the most effective ; the 

 rifle being aimed so that the bullet should strike the 

 aperture of the ear, or the immediate neighbourhood ot 

 the same, in such a manner as to pass out on the 

 opposite side of the skull in the same region. The 

 rear, or ear-shot, should be planted in the hollow just 

 above the conspicuous bump or swelling at the junction 

 of the jaw and the neck, and taken so as to form an 

 angle of about 45 with the elephant's course from 

 behind. In addition to these three head-shots, there is 

 one behind the shoulder, although this does not find 

 much favour among sportsmen. 



With the aid of the diagrams given in Mr. Sander- 

 son's Thirteen Tears among the Wild Beasts of India^ the 

 sportsman who essays elephant- shooting for the first 

 time should make a careful study of the vertical section 

 of the skull of one of these animals, so as to render 

 himself acquainted with the locality and relations of the 

 brain-chamber. With regard to the best methods of 

 tracking and approaching elephants in the jungle, he 

 cannot possibly do better than consult the work last 

 named. 



Allusion has already been made to the fits of passion 

 which occur in elephants when mast ; but the following 

 instance of a wild elephant trying conclusions with a 

 railway train which occurred at Perak, in the Malay 



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