THE ELEPHANT. 13 



Thefe animals love the banks of rivers *, deep 

 valleys, and fhady moift places. They cannot 

 difpenfe with water, which they trouble before 

 they drink. They often fill their trunk with 

 water, either to carry it to their mouth, or folely 

 for refreshing their nofe, and amufing themfelves 

 by throwing it back into the river, or befprink- 

 ling it around. They cannot fnpport cold, and 

 likewife fuller by extreme heat. To avoid the 

 ardour of the fun's rays, they retire into the mod 

 fhady recedes of the forefts. They frequently 

 take to the water : The enormous lize of their 

 bodies rather aids than retards their fwimming ; 

 for they fink not proportionably fo deep as o- 

 ther animals ; and the length of their trunk, 

 which they hold up in the air, and through 

 which they refpire, removes from them all ap- 

 prehenfions of being drowned. 



Roots, herbs, leaves, and tender wood, are 

 their common food. They likewife eat grains 

 and fruits. But they difdain fleiTi and iiih '(*. 

 When one of them difcovers a plentiful pafture, 

 he calls to the others, and invites them to eat 

 with him J. As they require a vaft quantity 



of 



* Elephant! naturae proprium eft rofcida loca et mcllia 

 &mare et aquam defiderare, ubi verfari maxime (ludet ; ita 

 tit animal paluftre nominari poffit ; Milan, lib. 4. cap. 24. 



f The moft favage of thefe animals eat no fieih, but live 

 folely upon leaves, branches, and twigs of trees, which they 

 break off with their trunk, and even browfe pretty ftrong wood ; 

 Voyage de Fr. Pyrard. torn. 2. p. 367. 



J Cum eis caetera pabula defecerint, radices cffodiunt, 



quibus 



