190 THE CHIEF SHOTS. 



have a thorough knowledge of the structure of the head, and of the position 

 of the animal's brain. To gain this he should examine a skull sawn ver- 

 tically into halves, and, if possible, compare it with a living elephant's 

 head ; these steps will fix the prominent internal and external points in 

 his mind. 



Internally (fig. 1), it will be seen that the cranium consists of light 

 cellular bone of very open construction. The walls between the cells are 

 as thin as note-paper. The cells differ in size : the largest has a capacity 

 of about two wine-glasses. There are no powerful bones, except one knob 

 in front ; a walking-stick may almost be driven through an elephant's skull 

 from the sides. The only vital portion of the head is the brain ; this lies 

 low and far back. In a very large male elephant, say nine and a half feet 

 at shoulder, its extreme length horizontally is twelve inches, and vertically 

 six inches. Its shape is somewhat oval. 



It will be evident, on an examination of the skull, that if the brain be 

 missed by a shot no harm will be done to the animal, as there are no 

 other vital organs, such as large blood-vessels, &c., situated in the head. 

 It thus happens that, in head-shots, if the elephant is not dropped on 

 the spot he is very rarely bagged at all. A shot that goes through his 

 skull into his neck without touching his brain may kill him, but it will 

 take time. I have never recovered any elephant that has left the spot 

 with a head-shot. The blood-traU for a few yards is generally very thick, 

 but it often ceases as suddenly as it is at first copious. Elephants are some- 

 times floored by the concussion of a shot, if the ball passes very close to 

 the brain ; large balls frequently effect this. No time should be lost in 

 finishing a floored elephant, or he will certainly make his escape. Many 

 cases have occurred of elephants which have been regarded as dead suddenly 

 recovering themselves and making off. 



The three chief shots at the elephant's brain are : the front (or forehead) 

 shot ; the side (or temple) shot ; and the rear (or behind the ear) shot. The 

 illustrations of heads in different positions will assist to explain them. 



Should the sportsman and the elephant be standing on tolerably level 

 ground, and the elephant be facing the sportsman with its head in its natural 

 position, a shot in the centre of the forehead towards the top of the bump 

 at the base of the trunk, and about three inches higher than a line drawn 

 between the eyes, will be instantly fatal. (Fig. 2.) 



Should the sportsman be to one side of the elephant, at right angles to 

 it, a shot directly iato the ear-hole, in a line to pass through the opposite 

 ear, or anywhere within the blank space indicated in fig. 2, will be instantly 

 ■fatal. To obtain the indicated space, dra^i^ lines from the top and butt of 



