IMPORTANCE OF THE TRUNK. 247 



as possible. If he is attacked by a lion, or other 

 wild beast, he carries his trunk as high in the air as 

 he can, and if this delicate organ is in the slightest 

 degree injured, the animal becomes \vild with rage 

 and terror. The instinct by which the creature de- 

 fends and preserves this precious instrument is in 

 proportion to its paramount importance. Mr. 

 Williamson saw an elephant whose trunk had been 

 cut through with a bill-hook, and though the wound 

 was healed the animal was perfectly helpless un- 

 able to procure its own food, and incapable of tra- 

 velling without danger, lie was fed with bundles 

 of grass, which were put into his mouth ; had 

 he been in a state of nature he must have 

 perished. 



An affecting example of the instinct with which 

 the elephant preserves his trunk was exhibited in the 

 death of the poor animal which was burnt in Dublin. 

 The author of the anatomical account says : 

 " Doubtless the elephant's care to preserve his pro- 

 boscis was great; for, when we dissected him, MV 

 found it thrust near two feet into r.crtj lianl <jronii<l ; 

 upon which account wo thought it had been burnt 

 till the head was divided from the body, and then 

 we found it kept fast by the proboscis." 



The elephant is extremely cautious of using his 

 trunk as a weapon. It is on his formidable tusks 

 that he chiefly relics, whether acting on the otfen- 

 sive or defensive; but he will not unfrequcutly throw 

 clods and stones with his trunk at objects which he 

 dislikes. Elephants often thus attack hogs, casting 

 these missiles with tolerable force and precision 



