MAMMALIA 265 



Chicago and elsewhere the handling of enormous quantities of beef, pork 

 and mutton has been developed into a real science. Every part of the 

 animal is used, in the larger plants, the former waste products being 

 converted into various by-products, such as fertilizer, glue, combs, 

 buttons, gelatine, plaster, hair, tallow, soap, perfumery, glycerine, 

 poultry-food, candles, oleomargarine, etc. The conversion of the 

 hides into leather is an important aspect of the cattle industry. 



Horse. The ordinary uses of the horse are too familiar to need de- 

 scription; like the dog the horse has been a friend and servant of man 

 from very early times and has been used in many ways both in peace 

 and in war. In some countries it has also been used for many years, as 

 food, and its use in this way is now very general, though there is still 

 a strong prejudice against horse flesh in many places. It is said that 

 in 1629 a man in France was executed for eating horse flesh on a Satur- 

 day in Lent; the meat is now largely eaten in France and other Euro- 

 pean countries and is even exhibited for sale in some American markets. 

 There is, of course, no reason why horse meat should not be just as 

 good as that of any other animal. 



Elephant (Fig. 173). Two species of elephants are usually de- 

 scribed, the African and Indian. These huge, thick-skinned (pachy- 

 derm) animals are familiar to all. They are almost hairless, with tiny 

 eyes and huge waving ears. The muscular trunk or proboscis, with the 

 nasal openings at the tip, is prehensile and is used by its possessor for 

 securing food and thrusting it into the mouth, and for many other 

 purposes for which hands are commonly used. There are no canine 

 teeth, but a pair of upper incisors become greatly elongated to form 

 the curved tusks. They are 8 to 10 feet or more in height and 

 may weigh five tons or more. 



The Indian elephant is more commonly domesticated, and may 

 be easily tamed and trained, in a few months. It has been used in the 

 Orient for thousands of years, in battle, in parades, for carrying goods, 

 piling lumber, etc. It seems to be an unusually intelligent animal; 

 for example, it exhibits remarkable judgment, while lifting a huge log 

 on its tusks, in calculating the centre of gravity of the log so that the 

 two ends, often of unequal diameters, will balance each other. 



Wild elephants are captured in pits and corrals, trained decoys 

 being often employed. 



Besides as a beast of burden, the elephant has great economic 



