114 PACHYDERM ATA. 



entire structure is well compared to the Cyclopean walls of some 

 ancient city, huge, shapeless, and piled over against each other as 

 if destined rather to sustain weight, than to permit motion. The 

 internal organization, as a whole, is more simple than that of the 

 Ruminants ; but still Elephants feed on nearly the same sort of 

 food. The stomach is of a very lengthened and narrow form, its 

 greatest diameter being only about one-fourth of its length. 

 There seems to be a receptacle, though less extensive than that 

 of the Camel, to enable the Elephant to retain or secrete water 

 that may be used for moistening its food, but at times is also used 

 to disturb the insects, which during a march, or in hot weather, 

 annoy or torment it. 



^But the trunk is unquestionably the most remarkable part of 

 this animal's structure. This is properly a continuation of the 

 nose, and becomes more valuable as an organ of prehension, from 

 the unwieldy size of the head, and the shortness of the neck. It 

 is an organ of respiration, as well as prehension ; and it is also a 

 delicate organ of touch and smell. The short neck, made neces- 

 sary by the weight of the head and tusks, prevents the Elephant 

 from putting its head to the ground, or from stooping to the water's 

 edge ; but for this disability it is fully compensated in the advan- 

 tage of the trunk. This extraordinary organ has, according to 

 Cuvier, not much less than 40,000 muscles, which enable the 

 Elephant to shorten, lengthen, coil up, or move it in any direction. 

 Its structure is cartilaginous, and composed of numerous rings; 

 a partition runs from one end of it to the other, so that although 

 outwardly it appears like a single pipe, it is inwardly divided 

 into two. "Endowed with exquisite sensibility; nearly eight 

 feet in length, and stout in proportion to the massive size of the 

 whole animal, this organ, at the volition of the Elephant, will 

 uproot trees, or gather grass ; raise a piece of artillery, or pick 

 up a comfit ; kill a man, or brush off a fly. It conveys the food 

 to the mouth, and pumps up the enormous drafts of water, which 

 by its recurvature, are turned into it, and driven down the capa- 

 cious throat, or showered over the body." Through the trunk 

 the Elephant uses his trumpet-like voice ; the end has two open- 

 ings or nostrils, like those of a hog, and also a finger-like append- 

 age, with which he picks up small objects. His skin is usually 

 of a brownish gray color, sometimes slightly mottled with flesh 

 color ; generally it is full of scratches and scars, which it re- 

 ceives in its passage through thick woods and thorny places. 

 The form of the head varies with the animal's age ; and it in- 

 creases immensely in those of full growth. The tail is long, and 

 has a tuft of hair reaching nearly to the ground. The strength 



