230 ELEPHANTID^E. 



presenting narrow transverse ridges ; 4 toes to the hind-feet j ears mode- 

 rate j tusks large in the male, small in the female. Compared with the 

 African elephant this species has much smaller ears. In the former the 

 head is more rounded ; the grinders present broad lozenge-shaped emi- 

 nences on their crowns ; and they have usually only 3 toes on their hind- 

 feet. The number of pairs of ribs is, 19 in the Indian elephant, and 

 21 in the African, and there are 33 caudal vertebrae in the Indian, and 

 never more than 26 in the African. In some males only one tusk is de- 

 veloped ; and in Ceylon many male elephants have the tusks very small. 



The elephant is still tolerably common in most of the large forests of 

 India, from the foot of the Himalayas to the extreme south. It is found 

 in the Terai from Bhotan to Dehra Doon and the Kyarda Doon. It used, 

 not many years ago, to occur in the Kajmahal hills, and it abounds in 

 many parts of Central India, from Midnapore to Mundla, and south nearly 

 to the Godavery. On the west coast it is abundant in many localities 

 from the extreme south of Travancore to north latitude 17 or 18 degrees, 

 all along the line of Western Ghats, more especially on the Animally 

 hills, named from that circumstance ; in the Coimbetore hills, "Wynaad, 

 the slopes of the Neelgherries, Coorg, and parts of Mysore and Canara. 

 The Shervaroys and Colamallies, and other detached ranges to the east, 

 have occasionally small herds on them. It is numerous in Ceylon and 

 in Assam, southwards to the Malayan peninsula. 



Now and then considerable damage is done by wild elephants to various 

 crops, and a single male individual at times becomes savage, and kills any 

 one that comes in his way. Such individuals often occupy a line of road, 

 and rush out at all passers-by, and not unfrequently prevent the dak- 

 runners from passing. As a general rule, however, wild elephants are most 

 timorous, and shun the presence of man as carefully as deer do. Some 

 years ago large rewards were given by the Madras Government for 

 elephants being killed in the Malabar forests, and several sportsmen 

 earned considerable sums by shooting them, only, however, taking the 

 Government rewards for females, or young males, as the value of the 

 tusks of old males generally exceeded that of the Government reward. 

 Two or three of our best sportsmen almost always succeeded in killing 

 elephants with a single shot, never firing till within a few yards. 



Elephants used to be captured by Government establishments, both in 

 the south of India near Coimbetore, and in the north at Dacca ; some 

 were taken in huge pitfalls dug for the purpose, and carefully concealed ; 



