4 3 THE ELEPHANT. 



his mafter. When he fpeaks, the animal re- 

 gards him with an eye of friendftup and atten- 

 tion, and his penetrating afpect is confpicuous 

 when he wants to anticipate the inclination of 

 his governour. He feeins to reflect, to deli- 

 berate, to think, and never determines till he 

 lias fevcral times examined, without paffion or 

 precipitation, the figns which he ought to obey. 

 The dog, whofe eyes are very expreflive, is too 

 prompt and vivacious to allow us to diftinguiiri 

 with eafe the fucceffive {hades of his fenfations. 

 But, as the elephant is naturally grave and mo- 

 derate, we read in his eyes, whofe movements 

 are flow, the order and fucceffion of his inter-' 

 nal affections *. 



His ear is very good; and the external organ 

 of hearing, like that of fmelling, is more re- 

 markable in the elephant than in any other ani- 

 mal. His ears are very large, and much longer, 

 even in proportion to his body, than thofe of 

 the afs. They lie flat on the head, like the hu- 

 man ears. They are commonly pendulous ; 

 but he can raife and move them with fuch fa- 

 cility, that he ufes them to defend his eyes from 

 dull: and flies f". He delights in the found of 



mu heal 



* The eyes of the elephant are, proportionally, exceed- 

 ingly fmall ; but they are very active and lively, and they 

 uniformly move in fuch a manner, as gives him the air of 

 thought and reflection ; Voyage au hides Orientales du P. Fr. 

 Vincent Marie de St Catherine de Sienr.e, p. 376. 



f The elephant has very large ears. . . He perpetually 

 moves them with much gravity, and they defend his eyes from 



all kinds of infects ; Id. Ibid. See alfo Let Memoires 



pourjervir al'kifloirc des Animaux, part 3./. 107. 



