Hunting at High Altitudes 



fleshy to the tip, where the nostrils are placed wide 

 apart, the nasal openings being directed somewhat 

 downward and outward. The length of the pro- 

 boscis forward from the canines is about equal to 

 the distance between the canine and the eye, and 

 its width is about equal to the space between the 

 eyes. The proboscis is exceedingly thick and 

 heavy. In one of our specimens, and that not the 

 largest, it was about nine inches long. When the 

 animal is crawling, the proboscis is relaxed and 

 pendent ; when sleeping, it rests upon the sand in a 

 shapeless mass. When annoyed persistently, the 

 old male slowly raises his head, and retracting 

 the proboscis, opens his mouth wide. He does not 

 bellow loudly, but there is much blowing out of 

 the breath through the nostrils with a gurgling 

 sound, the whole proboscis vibrating heavily with 

 the effort. Sometimes when the head is turned up, 

 the proboscis relaxes until it hangs into the open 

 mouth. The animal may continue to turn its head 

 over backward until the half-relaxed proboscis ac- 

 tually overhangs to the rear. In fighting, it is 

 closely retracted, and is kept out of harm's way, 

 for many of the animals with badly damaged necks 

 had trunks showing no injury whatever. 



When the proboscis is fully retracted, it exhibits 

 three bulging transverse folds on top, separated by 



416 



