MAMMIFEROUS ANIMALS. 



But it is only in Asia, that the Elephant is 

 thus tamed and domesticated for useful labors. 

 In Africa he is hunted and destroyed for the sake 

 of his tusks ; and as the Ivory of the latter coun- 

 try is of a superior quality to that of Asia, it 

 forms a leading article of African commerce. 



The sagacity of this noble animal, has been 

 illustrated in a variety of instances, which it is 

 impossible to bring within the scope of a Lec- 

 ture, intended to take only a general view of 

 Animal History. 



They are no doubt well known to many 

 of those who are now doing me the honor 

 to hear me ; and they have been interestingly 

 detailed in Buffon's Natural History, in Bing-^ 

 ley's Animal Biography, and in most of the res- 

 pectable Encyclopaedias. We shall briefly ob- 

 serve, that, limited as is his education has 

 been, to the performance of a few actions 

 to render him useful as a beast of burden, 

 or to serve the purposes of a public exhi- 

 bition ; he displays a wonderful falicity in, 

 comprehending what has been taught him, 

 and well and effectually performs his task 

 according to the orders received. Thus his na- 

 tural docility of temper, leads him to be easily 

 tamed and domesticated, when he soon forms a 

 lasting affection for his master, in whom he rea- 

 dily learns to discriminate the different modula- 

 tions of his voice, if not to understand his dis- 

 tinct articulations; the meaning of the varied 



