THE ELEPHANT. $$ 



that he choofes rather to Deep on his feet ; and, 

 if forced to lie down *, machines are neceffary 

 to raife him. His tufks, which, with age, be- 

 come enormoufly heavy, and not being placed, 

 like the horns of other animals, in a vertical po- 

 rtion, form two long levers, which, by their al- 

 mod horizontal direction, fatigue the head pro- 

 digioufly, and make it hang down ; fo that the 

 animal is fometimes obliged to make holes in the 

 wall of his lodge to fupport them, and relieve 

 him of their weight ~|\ He has the difad vantage 

 of having the organ of fmelling very diftant from 

 that of tafting, and the inconvenience of not be- 

 ing able to ieize any thing on the ground with 

 his mouth, becaufe his neck is too ftiff and too 

 (hort to allow his head to reach the earth. He 

 is, therefore, obliged to lay hold of his food, 

 and even of his drink, with his nofe, and then 

 to convey it, not only to the entrance of his 

 mouth, but as far as the throat ; and, when the 

 trunk is filled with water, he thrufts the end of 



it 



* We learned from the people who had the charge of the 

 elephant at Verfiilles, formerly mentioned, that, the firft eight 

 years he lived, he lay down and rofe with great facility ; and. 

 that, during the laft five years, he did not lie down tofleep,but 

 - leaned againft the wall of his apartment ; fo that, if he had 

 happened to lie down when lick, it would have been neceffary 

 to pierce the floor above, in order to raife him with engines ; 

 Mem. pour fervir ofhiji. des anhnaux y p. 104. 



f We faw where the elephant had employed his tufks in 

 making holes in a Hone-pillar, which projected from the wall 

 of his lodge, and thefe holes fupported him when ileeping, his 

 tufks being put into them } Id. p. 102. 



