150 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



nothing but unreasoning ferocity, and his generosity 

 only a fable of certain naturalists, while his intelligence 

 is far below that of the panther and tiger. The ele- 

 phant, on the other hand, comes nearest man in point of 

 intellect, as do the anthropoid apes in point of physical 

 qualities. 



Elephants live in communities, under chiefs to whom 

 strict obedience is observed, and in accordance with 

 recognized laws. The labor of obtaining food is shared 

 among them systematically, and fruits and roots are 

 collected for the young, their mothers, and the weak 

 and old in regular order. 



It has been urged against these animals as a proof 

 of lack of intelligence, that the mother cannot recog- 

 nize, in a herd, her own offspring from among the young 

 of others, for they are brought up together. I am 

 confident, from much observation, that this is not so, 

 and that it is simply their custom to nurse any young 

 elephant of the herd if their own are satisfied. Take 

 a child five or six hours old away from its mother, 

 and ask her, a few days later, to pick it out of a room- 

 ful of children of the same age. It does not prove, 

 because she cannot, that she is unintelligent. 



At any alarm of danger the chiefs utter a signal, 

 easily remembered. Immediately the younger ones, 

 guided by the females, place themselves together in 

 the centre, with the females around them, and the 

 males outside them. In this form they meet the attacks 



