400 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



it ran off with fury, and would suffer no person to come within 

 several yards of it. The man who had care of it at length hit 

 upon a contrivance for securing it. By a few words and signs 

 he gave the mother of the animal sufficient intelligence of what 

 was wanted ; the sensible creature immediately seized her 

 young one with her trunk, and held it firmly down, though 

 groaning with agony, while the surgeon completely dressed the 

 wound ; and she continued to perform this service every day till 

 the animal was perfectly recovered.^ 



Again, as still further corroboration of this point, I 

 may quote the following from Sir E. Tennent's ' Natural 

 History of Ceylon : ' — 



Nothing can more strongly exhibit the impulse to obedience 

 in the elephant than the patience with which, at the order of 

 his keeper, he swallows the nauseous medicines of the native 

 elephant- doctors ; and it is impossible to witness the fortitude 

 with which (without shrinking) he submits to excruciating 

 surgical operations for the removal of tumours and ulcers to 

 which he is subject, without conceiving a vivid impression of 

 his gentleness and intelligence. Dr. Davy when in Ceylon was 

 consulted about an elephant in the Government stud, which 

 was suffering from a deep, burrowing sore in the back, just over 

 the back-bone, which had long resisted the treatment ordinarily 

 employed. He recommended the use of the knife, that issue 

 might be given to the accumulated matter, but no one of the 

 attendants was competent to undertake the operation. ' Being 

 assured,' he continues, ' that the creature would behave well, I 

 imdertook it myself. The elephant was not bound, but was 

 made to kneel down at his keeper's command ; and with an 

 amputating knife, using all my force, I made the incision 

 required through the tough integuments. The elephant did 

 not flinch, but rather inclined towards me when using the 

 knife; and merely uttered a low, and as it were suppressed 

 groan. In short, he behaved as like a human being as possible, 

 as if conscious (as I believe he was) that the operation was for 

 his good, and the pain unavoidable. 



Major Skinner witnessed the following display of 

 intelligent action by a large herd of wild elephants. 

 During the hot season at Nenera Kalama the elephants 

 have a difficulty in finding water, and are therefore 



' Bingley, Animal BiograpTiy^ vol. 1., p. 155. 



