62 THE ELEPHANT. 



the epidermis adheres throughout to the fkin ; 

 but, in the elephant, it is only attached by fome 

 points of iniertion, like two pieces of cloth 

 ftitched together. This epidermis is naturally 

 dry, and very iubjec~t to grow thick. It often 

 acquires the thicknefs of three or four lines, by 

 the fucceffive drying of different layers which are 

 produced one above another. It is this thicken- 

 ing of the fcarf fkin which gives rife to the elc- 

 pbantiqfis or dry leprofy, to which man, whofe 

 fkin is naked like that of the elephant, is fome- 

 times fubjeel:. This difeafe is very common to 

 the elephant ; and the Indians, to prevent it, 

 rub him frequently with oil, and bathe him with 

 water, with a view to preferve the fkin clean and 

 flexible. The fkin, where it is not callous, is 

 extremely fenfible. In the fiffures, and other 

 places where it is neither dry nor hardened, the 

 elephant feels the flinging of flies in fuch a live- 

 ly manner, that he not only employs his natu- 

 ral movements, but even the refources of his in- 

 telligence, to get rid of them. He ftrikes them 

 with his tail, his ears, and his trunk. He con- 

 tracts his fkin, and crufhes them between its 

 wrinkles. He drives them off with branches of 

 trees, or handfuls of long ftraw. When ail thefe 

 artifices are unfuccefsful, he collects duft with 

 his trunk, and covers all the fenfible parts of his 

 fkin with it. He has been obferved pulverifing 

 himfelf in this manner feveral times in a day ; 

 and always at the raoft proper feafon, namely, 



after 



