88 THE ELEPHANT. 



SUPPLEMENT. 



From comparing the male and female ele- 

 phants, the former of which we faw in the year 

 1 77 1, and the latter in 1773, it appears, that, in 

 general, the parts of the female are grofTcr and 

 snore flelhy. Her ears, indeed, are proportion- 

 ally fmaller than thofe of the male : But her 

 body is more fwollen, her head larger, and her 

 members more rounded. 



Like all other animals, the female elephant is 

 more gentle than the male. Our female even 

 carefTed people with whom (he was unacquaint- 

 ed. But the male is often formidable: The one 

 we faw in 1771 was fiercer, lefs affectionate, and 



more 



courfe of time ; others are brown like coccoa nuts, and 

 more luftrous ; and others are of a blackifli blue colour. The 

 tufks which have not been much affected with the froft in the. 

 th, ai 1 have remained feme time expofed to the air, are. 

 fubjecl to become more or lefs yellow or brown, and aflame, 

 other colours, according to thefpecies of humidity with which, 

 the air is impregnated. M. dc Strahlenberg alfo remarks, that 

 pieces of theie corrupted teeth are fometimes of a bluifli black 



colour For the intereil of natural hiitorv, it were to 



be wifhed, that, with regard to. the other bones found in Si- 

 beria, we knew the animal to which they belong ; but there is. 

 : hope of accornpliflung this purpofe ; Relation d'uf: -voyage a, 

 hatka, par M, Gi/ielin, imprime, en 1735 a Petcrfjourg, en. 

 . The translation of this article was firft comma, ■ 

 ited to me by hi. de 1'Iile, of the academy of fciences, a:ii 

 ' by the Maj ie Montmirail. 



