Elephants.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



79 



ORDER PACHYDERMATA. 



The term Pachydermata was given to the present 

 order by Cuvier, and refers to the thickness of the 

 hide so generally conspicuous in the animals it 

 comprehends ; such, for example, as the elephant, 

 hippopotamus, rhinoceros, hog, &c. 



On looking at the order Pachydermata as a whole, 

 we find it for the most part composed of a genera 

 between which there is a want of that intimate 

 reJationship which gives us an idea of unity or 

 completeness. We see chasms in the gradation of 

 existing forms, and are forced, as it were, by abrupt 

 transitions from one genus to another, mstead of 

 passing through an intermediate series. Yet we are 

 not rashly to infer the original plan and purpose of 

 nature to have been destitute of unity. Far trom 

 it : happily the researches of the geologist have 

 brought to light the fossil relics of many species, the 

 extinction of which at some remote epoch has lelt 

 blanks in the series— blanks, however, which we are 

 thus enabled to fill up. And as these researches 

 are continued and extended, we have reason to con- 

 clude that every hiatus caused by the absence of 

 intermediate forms will become occupied. In the 

 present order, indeed, the fossil relics of extinct spe- 

 cies are peculiarly valuable and interesting : among 

 them are found not only the fossil remains of ani- 

 mals allied to existing species, as the fossil elephant 

 or mammoth, fossil rhinoceroses, and others, but also 

 of animals which have now no living representatives, 

 and which constitute the types of distinct genera, 

 comprehending exclusively beings whose characters 

 are to be drawn only from their recovered relics, 

 they themselves having been long blotted out from 

 among the " things that be." Such are the Mastodon, 

 the Anaplotherium, the Palaeotherium, the Toxodoc, 

 the Dinotherium, and many more. 



The order Pachydermata is divided by Cuvier 

 into three sections: the first (Proboscideans) in- 

 cludes the elephants and the extinct Mastodon ; the 

 second 'ordinary Pachyderms), the hippopotamus, 

 tapir, rhinoceros, and' hoe,— the Anaplotherium, 

 Palaeotherium, and many other extinct forms ; the 

 third (the solidungulous Pachyderms) includes the 

 horse and ass. To these we may add a fourth, 

 namely, the aquatic, represented by the Dugong, 

 Lamantin, &c. 



We shall commence our review of the Pachyderms 

 with the history of the elephant ; of which gigantic 

 beast our pictorial museum is replete with speci- 

 mens. 



321.— The Elephant. 

 Two species of elephant are at the present day in 

 existence, viz., the Indian elephant (Elephas Indi- 

 cus). Figs. 321, 322, 323, 339, 340, and the African 

 Elephant (Elephas Afiicanus), Figs. 324, 336. 



To the distinguishing characters between these 

 two species we will first attend. 



The Indian Elephant is characterised by the elon- 

 gation or pyramidal elevation of the skull (Fig. 327), 

 the concavity of the forehead, the moderate size of 

 the ears, and the parallel narrow transverse ribands 

 or lines of enamel with indented edges which tra- 

 verse the crown of the grinders. This character is 

 well displayed in Fig. 330, (^" which a represents 

 the upper molar tooth, and b the lower molar tooth 

 of that species. The number of toes on each foot 

 is really five, but of the hind-toes four only are 

 indicated by hoofs, the fifth being buried within 

 the dense skin. The tusks of the female never 

 acquire the size of those of the male. The male 

 attains to the height of 8, 9, or 10 feet at the 

 shoulder. This animal is a native of India, Cochin- 

 China, Siam, Pegu, Ava, the island of Ceylon, and 

 other large islands, as Borneo and Sumatra. 



The African Elephant is distinguished by the 

 rounded figure of the skull (Fig. 328), by the mag- 

 nitude of the ears, which spread over the shoulders, 

 and by the lozenge-shape assumed by the lines of 

 enamel traversing the grinders. The figure of these 

 lines is well represented by Fig. 331, of which a 

 represents the surface of the upper grinder ; b, the 

 Jovver grinder ; c, the original state of the grinders, 

 when the laminae of which they consist are free, that 

 is, as yet uncemented together ; and d, the laminae 

 as they are attached in parallels one to the other 

 by cortical substance, in a more developed slate of 

 dentition, but before the crown of the tooth has j 

 been worn by mastication, and when it only presents 

 on its surface blunt tubercles. To the structure of 

 these teeth we shall have occasion to refer again. 



The tusks in the African Elephant are often of 

 huge size, and almost as large in the female as ia 

 the male. The toes are really five, but four only 

 on each anterior foot, and three on each hinder foot, 

 are indicated externally by hoofs. In the present 

 day this species is confined to the remoter regions of 

 the African continent. 



We shall now proceed to a few general remarks 

 on the structure and organization of the Elephant, 

 applicable to both species. 



There is something, it must be confessed, noble 



and imposing in the appearance of the elephant ; 

 and especially when viewed in front (see Fig. 343). 

 Its colossal bulk, its vast powers, and the peculiarity 

 of its form and proportions, render it conspicuous 

 among the crowd of terre-strial animals. Its 

 dignity, however, is the dignity of strength and 

 stature ; there is no grace in its contour, but every 

 part is heavy and massive. The huge body is sup- 

 ported on four pillars, for such the limbs appear, the 

 bones of which bear perpendicularly on each other 

 (see skeleton. Fig. 341 ;, while a towering head of 

 vast size seems to rise at once from the shoulders, 

 without the intervention of a neck. The vertebrae 

 of the neck (Fig. 341) are indeed seven, as is the 

 general rule in the class Mammalia; but instead of 

 being elongated, as in the ox, deer, or antelope, they 

 are compressed into a short space, — for strength and 

 firmness are required. How, indeed, could the pon- 

 derous head of this animal be supported were the 

 neck to be modelled upon a plan of slender elegance i" 

 Independent of the ivory tusks, the weight of the 

 ^ull itself is very great : we have seen four strong 

 men labour in carrying one of moderate size ; but 

 the tusks make a considerable addition. Those of 

 some of the Indian elephants vary from 70 to 100 

 lbs. each ; but those of the African species are far 

 heavier. Hartenfels, in his ' Elephantographia,' 

 gives a table of the weight and length of the most 

 remarkable upon record, with his authorities ; among 

 oth(?rs, one is stated to have weighed 325 lbs. Cam- 

 per, who possessed one weighing 105 lbs., notices 

 one sold at Amsterdam, the weight of which was 

 350 lbs. Well, then, may the head appear as if des- 

 titute of a neck when we consider the load to be 

 sustained. The shortness, however, of the neck (set- 

 ting aside the projecting tusks, which of themselves 

 would form an insuperable obstacle), prevents the 

 elephant from applying his mouth to the ground ; 

 neither can he browse on the foliage of the trees 

 like the giraffe, for the position and formation of 

 the mouth forbid the attempt. (See Fig. 342, the 

 head of the elephant with the proboscis upraised, 

 showing the mouth.) But to atone for the short- 

 ness of the neck, and those harmonious concomi- 

 tants of structure which exclude this animal from 

 the pale of those that on the one hand graze, and on 

 the other browse, the elephant is provided with an 

 organ which more than supplies every deficiency ; 

 we allude to the proboscis— an instrument in every 

 respect of essential importance in this creature's 

 economy. 



The proboscis of the elephant must not, however, 

 be regarded exactly in the light of a new organ : it 

 is a modification of the structure of the upper lip 

 and nose ; and though in the elephant this is car- 

 ried out to its maximum, still we find an analogous 

 but short proboscis in the tapir, nor are traces of it 

 lost in the rhinoceros, which has the upper lip capable 

 of being protruded, and endowed with considerable 

 powers of prehension. If we turn to the skull of the 

 elephant (Fig. 329, section of a skull ; a, the open- 

 ing of the nostrils), we find the nasal orifice not only 

 large, but appearing as if situated in the forehead, 

 in consequence of the situation and development 

 of the alveoli (sockets) in which the bases of the 

 huge projecting tusks are imbedded. From the 

 nasal orifice is continued the proboscis of the ele- 

 phant, in the form of an elongated cone : in its an- 

 terior aspect it is rounded, and the coarse skin which 

 covers it is furrowed by transverse wrinkles very 

 apparent when the animal contracts the proboscis, 

 but which almost disappear when it is protruded to 

 the full stretch. The under surface is flattened, 

 with a rough projecting margin on each side, pro- 

 ducing in some degree a similarity to the legs of a 

 large caterpillar. Flexible to an extreme, and pos- 

 sessing an amazing strength, this organ consists of 

 bundles of muscular fibres, disposed, some longitudi- 

 nally, others transversely, in various directions cross- 

 ing each other, and diverging from two nasal canals 

 separated from each other by a tendinous partition, 

 and lined with a mucous membrane over which 

 nerves are abundantly distributed. Fig. 344 shows 

 a section of a portion of the proboscis or trunk of 

 the elephant admirably illustrative of its structure :— 

 A. Horizontal section, in which we see the small 

 transverse muscles cut — some (a) across : others (b) 

 In their length, n. Vertical section in lensth, 

 which has divided the nasal canal on the left side. 

 The small transverse muscles, which are seen in 

 their length at 6, are cut across ate; — other small 

 muscles of the same kind are seen at their length at 

 d. We see in their length, at e, the antagonist of 

 these transverse muscles — that is, the small longi- 

 tudinal muscles, c. Vertical section across. The 

 Email transverse muscles are seen in their length. 

 They have various directions, not precisely radiating 

 from the axis to the circumference, though their 

 course is always across. They are all within the 

 bed of the small longitudinal muscles which the 

 section has divided across. The principal nerves 

 and blood vessels are also shown in this section ; 

 as also the two canals of the trunk. 



It is to this multiform arrangement of its muscles 

 (and according to Cuvier their number is about forty 

 thousand), all of which are under the will, that the 

 proboscis of this animal owes its flexibility. It can 

 be protruded or contracted at pleasure, raised up or 

 turned to either side, coiled round on itself or twined 

 around any object. With this instrument the ele- 

 phant collects the herbage on which he feeds and 

 puts it into his mouth ; with this he strips the trees 

 of their branches, or grasps his enemy and dashes 

 him to the ground. But this admirable organ is not 

 only adapted for seizing or holding substances of 

 magnitude ; it is also capable of plucking a single 

 leal, or of picking up a straw from the floor. The 

 orifices of the canals of the extremity are encircled 

 by a projecting margin, produced anteriorly into a 

 finger-like process endowed with a high degree of 

 sensibility and exceedingly flexible. • It is at once 

 a finger for grasping and a feeler ; the division be- 

 tween the two nasal orifices or their elevated sides 

 serves as a point against which to press ; and thus it 

 can pick up or hold a small coin, a bit of biscuit, 

 or any trifling thing with the greatest ease. Figs. 

 345 — 351 will serve better than words to convey a 

 clear idea of the structure of the termination of the 

 trunk, and of the modes in which the animal uses 

 it. Figs 346 and 347 show the difference of form 

 in the termination of the trunk of the male and fe- 

 male. As the elephant feeds himself by means of 

 his proboscis, so he drinks by the same means also. 

 The young elephant takes its mother's milk in the 

 ordinary manner ; but in order to drink, the animal 

 dips the extremity of the proboscis into the water, 

 and sucks up the fluid, so as to fill the two canals ; 

 it then inserts the extremity into the mouth, and 

 discharges the contents. And here it may be ob- 

 served, that at the upper part of the canal, just 

 anterior to the nasal orifice of the skull, there exists 

 a moveable cartilage so disposed as to lead to the 

 conclusion that it acts as a valve in preventing 

 the water when sucked up from passing through the 

 posterior nares into the throat, which would be the 

 case but for some remedial contrivance. The ele- 

 phant can retain the water taken into his proboscis 

 as long as he pleases, and discharge it either gently 

 or with great violence : he does the latter, when 

 throwing it over his own body to cool himself, or 

 when in playfulness or anger he discharges "it against 

 any bystander. Through this trunk, the shrill 

 trumpet-like noise which the elephant often utters, 

 and which is an expression of satisfaction, is pro- 

 duced. 



If we turn to the skeleton of this huge beast, its 

 solidity will not fail to strike us. We shall not here 

 enter into minute details ; we may, however, state 

 that the head of the thigh-bone is not bound to the 

 socket by the ligamentum teres : this peculiarity ex- 

 ists only in the orang, the sloth, the seal, the enhy- 

 dra, the walrus, and the ornithorhyncus, and in the 

 present animal. The skull of the elephant is alto- 

 gether extraordinary, and presents us with a vast 

 frontal elevation, which gives it an air of great dig- 

 nity, but, as we shall see, the appearance is decep- 

 tive. Fig 329, which represents a vertical section 

 of the skull, may be liere consulted. Before and 

 above the cranial cavity c the two tables of the skull 

 are separated from each other by a series of irregular 

 cells (the frontal sinuses carried to an extreme) b b : 

 whence it follows that the anterior and upper portion 

 of the skull is more advanced and elevated than the 

 development of the brain itself warrants. We read 

 of instances in which many balls have been lodged 

 in the head of the elephant without bringing him 

 down, and the reason is obvious : they entered the 

 vast region of cells, and did not touch the brain ; 

 and to this circumstance is to be attributed the mi- 

 serable failure of the attempt made some years since 

 to shoot an infuriated elephant then existing at 

 Exeter Change. A skilful elephant-hunter would 

 have saved the poor animal from protracted torments 

 and a lingering death. In the dentition of the ele- 

 phant we find much analogy to the order Rodentia, 

 and among them especially to the Capybara. The 

 teeth of the elephant consist only of molars, and of 

 incisors, or, as they are commonly called, tusks, which 

 occur only in the upper jaw. The molars are of a 

 compound structure, consisting of transverse folds of 

 enamel, each fold enveloping a central nodule of 

 bone, with an external coat of a different character, 

 called cortical substance, or crusta petrosa, compacts 

 the whole together. Thus a single grinder may be 

 regarded as made up of a certain number of distinct 

 teeth bound up into one mass. The process by 

 which these separate constituents of the molars are 

 deposited and arranged in the capsule is admirably 

 described by Cuvier, in his ' Ossemens Fossiles,' to 

 which work we refer those who wish to investigate 

 the subject (see vol. i. p. 31). 



The molars of the elephant when perfected are not 

 permanent, but are shed in due succession for six oi- 

 eight times, perhaps oftener, and this not from the 

 rising up of a fresh tooth below the one it is to suc- 

 ceed, but by the rising up of a new one behind 



