BOOK VIII. X. 29-xi. 32 



liable to extreme torture if in drinking they swallow 

 a leech (the common name for which I notice has 

 now begun to be ' blood-sucker ') ; when this attaches 

 itself in the actual breathing passage it causes 

 intolerable pain. 



The hide of the back is extremely hard, but that Theirkide. 

 of the belly is soft ; it has no covering of bristles, 

 not e\ en on the tail as a guard for driving away the 

 annoyance of flies — for even that huge bulk is 

 sensitive to this — but the skin is creased, and is 

 inviting to this kind of creature owing to its smell ; 

 consequently they stretch the creases open and let 

 the swarms get in, and then crush them to death by 

 suddenly contracting the creases into wrinkles. 

 This serves them instead of tail, mane and fleece. 



The tusks fetch a vast price, and supply a very ivory. 

 elegant material for images of the gods. Luxury 

 has also discovered another thing that recommends 

 the elephant, the flavour in the hard skin of the 

 trunk, sought after, I believe, for no other reason 

 than because the epicure feels that he is munching 

 actual ivoiy. Exceptionally large specimens of 

 tusks can indeed be seen in the temples, but never- 

 theless Polybius'' has recorded on the authority of 

 the chieftain Gulusa'' that in the outlying parts of 

 the province of Africa where it marches with Ethiopia 

 elephants' tusks serve instead of doorposts in the 

 houses, and partitions in these buildings and in 

 stabhng for cattle are made by using elephants' 

 tusks for poles. 



XI. Elephants are produced by Africa beyond the wndeie- 

 deserts of Sidra and by the country of the Moors ; ^lfricm and 

 also by the land of Ethiopia and the Cave-dwellers, indian. 

 as has been said ; but the biggest ones by India, as 



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