HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT. Ill 



between the elephant of the European shores and the ele- 

 phant in its native forests, which it is necessary to attend 

 to for the purpose of not being misled. The confined 

 elephant has the skin loose and wrinkled, and apparently 

 too big for it, whereas in a state of nature the skin is com- 

 paratively tight, and there is considerable plumpness in the 

 appearance of the animal. It is probable that this differ- 

 ence, by means of which the confined elephant shows to 

 so little advantage, is owing to the action of the colder cli- 

 mate on the skin ; and this is another proof that the skin of 

 the elephant possesses a good deal of sensibility when the 

 animal is in proper health. This is indeed the case with 

 the greater number of the Pachydermata, which really 

 have the skin more sensitive than many of the thin-skinned 

 animals ; and thus, in so far as they are concerned, the 

 usual associating of the epithet "thick-skinned" with the 

 fact of want of feeling is incorrect. 



The head of the elephant appears rather small in pro- 

 portion to the size of the animal, but the form of the out- 

 line (in the Asiatic elephant particularly, which has the 

 front line nearly straight,) gives it an expression of intelli- 

 gence. The eye adds considerably to this expression ; for 

 though very small in proportion to the size of the animal, it 

 is bright and expressive. The ears are large and pendu- 

 lous, though smaller in the Asiatic than in the African. 

 The body is thick in proportion to its length, and consider- 

 ably arched in the line of the back, which gives the ani- 

 mal great strength in carrying. The legs are also very 

 stout and massy. The feet are not divided into toes exter- 

 nally visible ; but there are five short flat nails on each of 

 the fore-feet, and four on each of the hind ones. The 

 feet and legs, though apparently stiff and awkward, 

 are not so in reality. The fore-foot can be used with 

 considerable adroitness as a sort of hand, in conjunc- 

 tion with the trunk, and both feet are used in stamp- 

 ing the enemies of the animal to death. The tail is slen- 



