VOL. LXXXIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 455 



ascertain this point, was to form some probable conjecture as to the period of an 

 elephant's gestation, which has now been ascertained, in the instance before re- 

 lated. 



Early in Sept. 1795, the female that had been covered, and had bred under my 

 own observation, was known to be in heat; this was less than 6 months after bring- 

 ing forth. Learning, at the same time, that the Rajah of Cudwah, a principal 

 Zemindar of the province, had a very large male that had been in the family near 

 20 years, from the time he was about 5 years old, I sent a messenger, requesting 

 the elephant might be sent to Comillah, which request the Rajah immediately com- 

 plied with. To prevent any interruption from the numbers of spectators, the ele- 

 phants were put into a small inclosure, on the 17th of Sept.; the female was 

 picketed by 1 leg, and the young one, to which she was giving suck, was tied to a 

 tree at some distance, fearing, if permitted to run about, he might receive some 

 injury. After a few caresses from the female, the male at length effected his pur- 

 pose, and covered her twice the same evening. As the intention of the male ele- 

 phant's visit was known in the district, and a few days had elapsed since the 2 

 elephants were brought together, in order to make them acquainted, the number 

 of spectators was greater than on any other similar occasion. She was afterwards 

 covered, several times, on the 20th of the same month; the male, in this case, 

 being admitted after an interval of 3 days, though formerly, in June, 17Q3, she 

 refused him when only 2 had elapsed. She again proved with young; and, in Nov. 

 1796, being myself in a bad state of health, and under the necessity of returning 

 to Europe, I sent her to Lucknow, together with her young one, at the request of 

 my friend captain David Lumsden : though she was then very big, she was still 

 giving suck. About a month before that period, I got my friend, Mr. Stephen 

 Harris, to permit a female of his to be covered; the same which had, in 1793, 

 rejected the attempts of the male to cover her contrary to her inclination. Another 

 messenger was dispatched to Cudwah, for the Rajah's elephant, which was again 

 sent to Comillah. He covered her repeatedly, on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of 

 Oct. 1796, before many Europeans, as well as natives; and, the last time he 

 covered her, it was evidently contrary to her inclination; so that, in fact, he used 

 force to effect his purpose, and held her so firmly, that the marks of the nails of 

 his fore-feet were deeply imprinted on her shoulders. 



Having mentioned a sufficient number of instances, to prove the ability, as well 

 as the inclination of the elephant, to propagate his species in a domestic state, and 

 that without any signs of modesty, and having ascertained the period of gestation 

 to be 20 months and 1 8 days, it may be necessary to observe, that it is a difficult 

 matter to bring a male, which has been taken about the prime of life, into good 

 condition to act as a stallion ; for, being naturally bolder, and of a more ungovern- 

 able disposition, than the female, he is not in general easily tamed, till reduced 

 very low; and it requires considerable time, as well as much expence and attention 

 before he can be brought into such high order as is requisite. He must also be o/ 



