528 



MANUAL OF ZOOLOGY. 



The recent Elephants are exclusively confined to the tropical 

 regions of the Old World, in the forests of which they live 

 in herds. Only two living species are known the Asiatic 

 Elephant (Elephas Indiais), and the African Elephant (E. 

 Africanus). There can be no doubt, however, but that the 

 Mammoth (Elephas primigenius] existed in Europe within the 

 human period. 



Fig. 201. Skull of the Indian Elephant (Elephas Indicus). i Tusk-like upper in- 

 cisors ; m Lower jaw, with molars, but without incisors ; Nostrils, placed at the 

 end of the proboscis. (After Owen)^ 



In both the living Elephants the " tusks" are formed by an 

 enormous development of the two upper incisors. The lower 

 incisors are absent, and there are no other teeth in the jaws 

 except the large molars, which are usually two in number on 

 each side of each jaw. The molar teeth are of very large size, 

 and are composed of a number of transverse plates of enamel 

 united together by dentine. In the Indian Elephant the 

 transverse ridges of enamel are narrow and undulating, whilst 

 in the African Elephant they enclose lozenge-shaped intervals. 

 The Indian Elephant is the only species which is now caught 

 and domesticated, and as it will not breed in captivity, the 

 demand for it is supplied entirely by the capture of adult wild 



