398 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



had now to follow. He had watched the ascent of the other 

 with the utmost interest, making motions all the while as 

 though he was assisting him by shouldering him up the acclivity, 

 in such gestures as I have seen some men make when spectators of 

 gymnastic exercises. When he saw his comrade up, he evinced 

 his pleasure by giving a salute something like the sound of a 

 trumpet. When called upon to take his turn, however, he 

 seemed much alarmed, and would not act at all without force. 



After a performance similar to that of the previous 

 elephant, however, he too neared the top, when 'the 

 other, who had already performed his task, extended his 

 trunk to the assistance of his brother in distress, round 

 which the younger animal entwined his, and thus reached 

 the summit.' There was then a cordial greeting between 

 the two animals, ' as if they had been long separated 

 from each other, and had just escaped from some perilous 

 achievement. They mutually embraced each other, and 

 stood face to face for a considerable time, as if whispering 

 congratulations.' ^ 



Mr. Jesse says : ' I was one day feeding the poor 

 elephant (who was so barbarously put to death at Exeter 

 Change) with potatoes, which he took out of my hand. 

 One of them, a round one, fell on the floor, just out of 

 reach of his proboscis.' After several ineffectual attempts 

 to reach it, 'he at length blew the potato against the 

 opposite wall with sufficient force to make it rebound, 

 and he then without difficulty secured it.' ^ 



This remarkable observation has fortunately been cor- 

 roborated by Mr. Darwin. He writes : — 



I have seen, as I dare say have others, that when a small 

 object is thrown on the ground beyond the reach of one of the 

 elephants at the Zoological Gardens, he blows through his 

 trunk on the ground beyond the object, so that the current 

 reflected on all sides may drive the object within his reach. ^ 



The observation has also been corroborated by other 

 observers."* 



' Memoirs, vol. ii., p. 64 et seq. 



2 Jesse, Gleanings in Natural History^ vol. i., p. 19. 



' Descent of Man, p. 96. 



* See Animal Kingdom, vol. iii., p. 374. 



