WILD ANIMALS OF THE EASTERN SUDAN 41 



practice for a sportsman who has floored his quarry 

 to place an additional bullet or two in vital situations 

 for security. The brain is very small, I believe about 

 the size of a man's head, and lies midway between 

 the orifices of the two ears, each of which is marked 

 by a tuft of greyish hair. In the case of an absolute 

 broadside shot, I was told to fire two inches from 

 this tuft, in a line towards the eye, so that presumably 

 the centre of the brain is two inches forward of the 

 absolute line between the orifices of the ear, and, of 

 course, in the exact centre of the line. If, however, 

 the elephant was somewhat facing me, I was told 

 that there were two cup-like depressions in the exact 

 line between the orifices of the ear and the eye, and 

 that either of these depressions afforded the easiest 

 of passages to the brain ; the sportsman selecting the 

 one nearest the ear if the elephant were only slightly 

 inclined towards him, and the one nearest the eye 

 if the elephant were facing him more directly. In 

 case, however, the elephant faced one directly, which 

 would naturally be the case if he were charging, I was 

 told to neglect the brain entirely, and to fire for the 

 centre of his chest at the junction of the neck with the 

 view of reaching the heart. A charging elephant is 

 to my knowledge more easily turned than most 

 dangerous animals, and I can believe that the chest- 

 shot might be effective in such a situation, though I 

 would rather not have to try the experiment. The 



