ELEPHANTS. 545 



this point, we must turn our attention to the trade in mammoth ivory. It appears 

 that in 1872 no less than 1630 of these tusks, and in the following year 1140, were 

 imported into England; and it may be estimated that for a long time fully 

 120,000 Ibs. weight of fossil ivory found its way year by year into the market. 

 Tli is means that within a period of twenty years, over 20,000 mammoths must 

 have been discovered; which affords ample proof that Siberia was as thickly 

 inhabited by these animals, as was ever Africa by the elephant of modern times. 

 It may be added that only about 14 per cent, of the tusks imported afford first- 

 class ivory, in addition to which about 17 per cent, are capable of being used where 

 ivory of the best quality is not required. 



THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT (Elephas africanus). 



The African elephant differs widely from its Asiatic congener, not only in 

 external form, but likewise as regards the structure of its molar teeth ; the males 

 also reaching larger dimensions than those ordinarily attained by the latter. 

 The most striking external characteristic of the African species is the enormous 

 size of the ears, which, when in repose, completely cover the shoulders, but during 

 periods of excitement are elevated at right angles, and thus communicate a most 

 extraordinary appearance to their 

 owner. The head is also much 

 more convex in the region of the 

 forehead, the eye is larger, and 

 the extremity of the trunk, 

 instead of having one long 

 finger-like process on its front 

 edge, has two nearly equal-sized A RIGHT UPPER MOLA * TO TH OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT 



J (nat. size). (From Sir K. Owen.) 



processes, one in iront and the 



other behind. The colour of the skin is also somewhat darker. In general form, 

 the African species is distinguished by the middle of the back being hollowed, and 

 the shoulder the highest point, while the hind-foot carries three, in place of four, 

 nails. As a general rule, both the males and females are furnished with well- 

 developed tusks, which attain larger dimensions than those of the Indian elephant ; 

 but Mr. Blanford states that in Eastern and Northern Abyssinia all the elephants 

 appear to be almost tuskless, or to have very small and short tusks. The molar 

 teeth are distinguished by the smaller number and greater thickness of their plates ; 

 each of these plates expanding in the middle in an angulated form, so that when 

 worn (as shown in the accompanying figure) each plate presents a lozenge-shaped 

 area of ivory bordered by enamel. Moreover, the enamel is not puckered in the 

 manner characterising the molars of the Indian species. The number of plates in 

 the first molar is usually three, in the second six, in the third and fourth seven, in 

 the fifth eight, and in the last ten. 



That the African elephant frequently attains a height of 10 feet 



and over at the shoulders is well ascertained, but w r e have no records 



of its maximum dimensions in the wild state. A male killed in South Africa by 



H.R.H. the Duke of Coburg, which stood 10 feet at the withers, had a length 



VOL. ii. 35 



