66 T H K E L E P H A N T. 



tail is fometimes fold for two or three flaves ; 

 and the Negroes often hazard their lives in en- 

 deavouring to cut it off from the live animal. 

 Befidc this tuft, the tail is covered, or rather 

 ftrewed, through its whole extent, with briftles 

 as large and as hard a:; thofe of the wild boar. 

 Thefe bridles are alio found on the convex part 

 of the trunk and the eye-brows, where they 

 fometimes exceed a foot in length. Briltles or 

 hairs on the eye-lids are peculiar to man, the 

 monkey, and the elephant. 



Climate, food, and fituation, have a great in- 

 fluence on the growth and fize of the elephant. 

 In general, thofe that are taken young, and re- 

 duced to captivity, never acquire their natural di- 

 menfions. Thelargeft elephants of India and the 

 eaftern parts of Africa are fourteen feet high ; 

 the fmalleft, which are found in Senegal, and o- 

 ther weftern regions of Africa, exceed not ten or 

 eleven feet ; and thofe which are brought to Europe 

 when young, never arrive at this height. The 

 Verfailles elephant, which came from Congo *., at 

 the age of feven years, was not above feven and 

 a half feet high. During the thirteen years that 

 he lived, he acquired only one foot ; fo that, at 

 the age of four, when he was tranfported, he was 



only 



power. They often go a hunting folely with a view to ob- 

 tain a tail of this kind. • But it muft be cut off with a ilngle 

 blow from the live animal, without which, fuperltition allows 

 it no virtue ; Hijh gen. cles Voyages, par l* Abbe Prevyi, torn. 5. 

 p. 79. 



Tern. 'pour fcrvir a rhift. des animaux, part. 3. p. iox. 



