CiiAP. I.] STRUCTURE AXD FUNCTIONS. 281 



to trample liiin at each concussion, but aljandoned bini 

 without inflicting serious injury. 



Knox, in describing the execution of criminals by the 

 state elephants of the former kings of Kandy, says, " they 

 will ran their teeth (tusks) through the body, and then tear 

 it in pieces and throw it hmb from limb ; " but a Kandyan 

 chief, who was witness to such scenes, has assured 

 me that the elephant never once apphed his tusks, 

 but, placing his foot on the prostrate victim, plucked 

 off his hmbs in succession by a sudden movement of 

 his trunk. If the tusks were designed to be employed 

 offensively, some alertness would naturally be exliibited 

 in using them ; but in numerous instances where sports- 

 men have fallen into the power of a wounded elephant, 

 they have escaped through the failure of the enraged 

 animal to strike them with its tusks, even when stretched 

 upon the ground.^ 



Placed as the elephant is in Ceylon, in the midst of 

 the most luxuriant profusion of his favourite food, in 

 close proximity at aU times to abundant supphes of water, 

 and with no enemies against whom to protect himself, 

 it is difficult to conjecture any probable utihty wliicli he 

 could derive from such appendages. The absence of 

 tusks is unaccompanied by any inconvenience to those 

 in whom they are wanting ; and as regards the few who 

 possess them, the only instance in which I am aware of 

 then- being employed in relation to the CEConomy of 

 the animal, is to assist in ripping open the stem of the 

 jaggery palms and young palmyras to extract the fari- 

 naceous core ; and in sphtting the juicy shaft of the 

 plantain. Wliilst the tuskless elephant crushes the 

 latter under foot, thereby soihng it and wasting its 

 moisture ; the other, by opening it with the point 

 of his tusk, performs the operation with dehcacy and 



1 The Ilastisilpey a Singhalese work | which it is not desu'able to possess, 

 which treats of the " Science of Ele- " the elephant which will fifrlit with 

 phants," enumerates amongst those | a stone or a stick in his trunk." 



