PACHYDERMES. 97 



an organ of delicate prehension, of touch, and of 

 smell, a convenient apparatus for some of the 

 more unwieldy, where their short neck would not 

 enable them to stretch far above them, or even 

 very easily to reach the ground. In these instances 

 it serves the place of the flexible upper lip of 

 some of the Ruminants, and the lengthened tongue 

 of the Cameleopard. We find this structure most 

 developed in the Elephant, whose elongated 

 nostrils are familiarly known under the name of 

 trunk or proboscis, and of whose structure we 

 have entered more into detail in describing the 

 Indian species. It will suffice to say here, that it 

 is an organ of the utmost delicacy, in displaying 

 the senses of smelling and touch, and at the same 

 time capable of the most prodigious strength, arid 

 is constantly used by the animal in pulling within 

 its reach the branches and foliage on which it 

 feeds. The creatures which have it in the next 

 greatest proportion elongated, are the Tapirs, in 

 which the nostrils also are contained in a moveable 

 snout, scarcely however used for prehension, but 

 possessing great delicacy of smell and touch, and 

 used in seeking out and discriminating their food. 

 In the Rhinoceros the lip is elongated, but without 

 being pierced by the nostrils ; and in the Pigs we 

 perhaps see the most industriously nosed quadru- 

 peds, the lengthened form, and stiff pierced 

 cartilage, serving as a powerful instrument to 

 "arn up the surface in searcb of insects, worm 



G 



