250 THE ELEPHANT. 



but those which project horizontally, arching gradu- 

 ally upwards, and tapering to a point, are con- 

 sidered the handsomest. It is by no means easy, 

 however, to obtain two perfect teeth from the same 

 animal, for although they may originally have been 

 well-formed (which is not always the case) they are 

 often broken off, either at the point, or even close 

 to the sockets. The injury is supposed to have 

 been inflicted by the animals when in play, or when 

 pushing their tusks into the ground in search of 

 large succulent bulbs, or in tearing up the roots of 

 trees in order to be enabled to browse on the young 

 shoots and boughs. It may even be the result of 

 the determined and savage battles that take place 

 between males, fragments of strange tusks, as 

 elsewhere shewn, having occasionally been found 

 imbedded, not only in the heads, but in the bodies of 

 elephants. 



In one instance, indeed, and the fact is perfectly 

 / well authenticated, " a piece of ivory, weighing 

 twenty-two pounds, was discovered in the stomach 

 of an old bull-elephant that was shot on the 

 Sharkakee E-iver by Jacque, Slekanen, and other 

 respectable and well-known hunters belonging to 

 Kruman, the missionary station of the Reverend 

 Mr. Moffatt. This animal had a large wound in 

 the side, which had closed up, and he had for 

 some time past stuck to the locality. He was 

 well known to the natives, two or three of 

 whom he had already killed in the most unprovoked 

 manner,, charging them at first sight. In like 

 manner he charged some ten or a dozen hunters 



