THE ELEPHANT. 327 



with a view to ensure strength, adequate to sustain its pro- 

 digious weight, than to permit of agile and active movements ; 

 but these massive pillars, seemingly so unwieldy and uncouth, 

 have been made to unite strength and flexibility in a remarkable 

 degree ; so that their possessor is able to ascend and de- 

 scend steep acclivities, to climb rocks, and traverse precipitous 

 ledges, where even the surefooted mule would hardly venture. 

 The first manoeuvre of an elephant descending a bank of too~ 

 acute an angle to admit of his walking down it direct (for, were 

 he to attempt this, his huge body, soon disarranging the centre 

 of gravity, would certainly topple over), is to kneel down close 

 to the edge of the declivity, placing his chest to the ground ; 

 one foreleg is then cautiously passed a short way down the 

 slope, and if there is no natural protection to afford a firm 

 footing, he speedily forms one by stamping into the soil if 

 moist, or kicking out a footing if dry. This point gained, the 

 other foreleg is brought down in the same way, and performs 

 the same work, a little in advance of the first, which is thus at 

 liberty to move lower still. Then first one and then the second 

 of the hind-legs is carefully drawn over the side, and the hind- 

 feet in turn occupy the resting-places previously used and left 

 by the forefeet. The course, however, in such precipitous 

 ground, is not straight from top to bottom, but slopes along the 

 face of the bank, descending till the animal gains the level 

 below. This wonderful faculty necessarily points to a no less 

 wonderful organisation, and the columnar legs of the elephant, 

 which the ancients supposed to be without joints, are in reality 

 masterpieces of mechanical contrivance. 



While walking or running, the weight of the body rests upon 

 part of the locomotive organs, while the other moves it forwards, 

 so that the animal constantly remains in contact with the earth ; 

 but in springing the body is thrown upwards into the air, so 

 as to alight again upon the ground, at a greater or less distance. 

 This kind of motion is performed by the sudden extension 

 of the hinder extremities, after they had been previously bent, 

 and the energy and strength with which it is executed naturally 

 depends upon the development of these parts. The feline races 

 generally surprise their prey by suddenly darting forth upon it 

 from concealment, like lightning from a cloud, and it requires 

 but a single glance at the anatomical structure of their powerful 



