TV/ A- A MICA. \' ELBi'ii\\r. BOI 



]. aves. whi.-h it plucks .!:ii;iri!\ vtffcfhl tt] of its li ink. ami Always bttliqpftMl its f..i.- 1- ..-. 

 in order t<> -hakf otT the dust. While f.i-dim:. tin- Kit-pliant never seems to ln in a hurrj-, hut 

 eats delilterately, an.l ..ft. n pauses in ii> meal, us if engaged in contemplation. In this 

 country. tin- average daily foxl of un adult Kli-pliant is one truss of liay, one truss of straw, a 

 l-iis|i.-l of barley meal ami I ran mad? into a mash, thirty ]>ound.s of potatoes, and six pints of 

 water. In <V\ li>n. each Elephant employs two men in rutting leave* for its sustenance, and a 

 large animal would probably require the services of three leaf -cutters. 



Tin- general color of the Elephant is brown, of a lighter tint wln-n tin- animal is at lil>er 

 and ilily deejM-r w hen its hide in subjected to nibbing with a cocoa-nut brush, and 



plentv of oil. Sometimes an albino or white Elephant is seen in the forests, tin- color of the 

 r.nimal l-ing a pinky white, and aptly < > oni|Hired to the nose of a white horse. The King 

 of A\a. one of whose titles is "Lord of the White Elephants," generally contiixes to monopo- 

 lixe ex. TV White HI. -pliant, and employs them for purposes of state, decorating them \\ith 

 sti in_> of priceless gems, pearls, and gold coins, and lodging them in the most magnificent of 

 houses, where their very eating-troughs are of silver. 



Although the tame Kle]>hant is usually gentle in his disposition, there are certain times 

 in the year when he beooBM greatly excited, and is sometimes so powerfully agitated, that he 

 will attack anything that comes in his way, and has often been known even to assault his own 

 keeper. Klephants in this condition are technically called "must" Elephants, and are care- 

 fully guarded as long as the paroxysm lasts. On one occasion, a mahout was forced tc sit 

 upon the animal's back for several days continuously, not daring to alight lest the infuriated 

 iinimal should destroy him. As he sat upon the creature's back, it constantly endeavored to 

 pull him from his seat, but was held at bay by the sharp point of the "haunkus," which 

 wounded his trunk whenever it threatened the mahout, and ^used such pain that the animal 

 was f;iin to desist from its deadly efforts. While in this state of excitement, the Klephant is 

 largely employed as a combatant, l>eing set to fight another "must " animal for the gratifica- 

 tioii of its owner. Very heavy wagers were often laid HJIOII these combatants 1>\ their Eastern 

 owners, and the fight was of a most terrific character. Each Elephant was mounted by his 

 own mahout, who was furnished with a rope netting, to which lie dung an the animals met in 

 the deadly shock, in order to prevent himself from being flung off the creature's back. It is a 

 ivmarkalile fact, that the animal never interferes with a human In-ini: pn>vid-d he is mounted 

 upon an Elephant's back, and even the wild "rogue" Elephants do no harm to the men who 

 come to ensnare them. 



There are many breeds, or "casts," of the Asiatic Elephant, which are distinguished by 

 certain technical terms. 



TIIK AH:I< \v ELEPHANT is spread over a very wide range of country, extending from 

 Senegal and Abyssinia to the borders of the Cape Colony. Several conditions are required for 

 UiaadotaBM NH&ae svater. dense foi *ts, and the absena of kOBMB habitation 



Although it is \.-iy abundant in the locality which it inhabits, it is not often seen by 

 casual travellers, owing to its great vigilance, and its wonderful ]xwer of moving through the 

 tangled forests without noise, and without causing any perceptible agitation of the foliage. 

 In spite of its enormous dimensions, it is one of the most invisible of f. atnrea, and a 



li.-nl ..f Klephants, of eight or nine feet in height, may stand within a few yardaof a hunter 

 without being detected by him, even though he is aware of their presence. The only sure 

 method of ascertaining the presence of Elephants is by listening for one sound which they are 

 continually giving forth, and which they are unable to control. This peculiar noise resembles 

 the bubbling of wine when poured from a bottle, and is caused by the large amount of 

 water which is stored in their interior. This curious sound Is emitted at regular intervals, 

 and forms a sure criterion whereby to judge of the direction in which the creatures may be 

 standing. 



At the present day the African Elephant is never captured and domesticated, although 

 there seems to be but little reason for such an omission. In the ancient times, this ^|H-.'ies was 

 trained for the arts of war and peace as regularly as the Asiatic Elephant, and its present 



