THE FLOCKS AND HERDS 133 



the elephants contrive a better way. They bring bits of 

 timber, which they throw into the pitfall, the captive treads 

 them down until he is elevated to a position whence he can 

 escape from his prison. 



The intelligence of the wild elephant is probably in good 

 part to be accounted for by the fact that the creature possesses 

 in its trunk an instrument which is admirably contrived to exe- 

 cute the behests of an intelligent will. It is easy for us to see 

 how, in the case of man, the hands have served to develop the 

 intelligence by providing him with means whereby he could 

 do a great variety of things which demanded thought and 

 afforded education. The elephant is the only large mammal 

 which has ever acquired a serviceable addition to the body 

 such as the trunk affords. In their ordinary life the trunk 

 does almost as varied work as the human arm. With it they 

 can express emotions in a remarkable way ; they caress their 

 young, gather their food by a great variety of movements, or 

 defend themselves from assailants. To the naturalist who 

 has come to perceive the close relations between bodily struct- 

 ure and mental endowments, it is not surprising to find that 

 these creatures have attained a quality of mind which is 

 found nowhere else among the mammals except in man and 

 in some of his kindred, the apes. 



The most peculiar mental quality of the elephant, a feature 

 which separates him even from the dog, is the rational way 

 in which he will do certain kinds of mechanical work. He 

 appears to have an immediate sense as to the effects of his 

 actions, which we find elsewhere only among human beings. 

 From a great body of well-attested observations, showing 

 what may be called the logical quality of the mind of these 

 creatures,! may be allowed to select a few stories which have 



