GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



29 



regions the elephants roam about, often in 

 numerous bands. The more abundant is the 

 supply of water the rnore agreeable is it to 

 the proboscis-bearers, and they often venture 

 up into pretty high and cold mountains, pro- 

 vided they can find there ponds and marshes 

 in which to bathe and cool themselves 

 during the heat of the day. They are fond 

 of a moist heat, but they do not dread the 

 cold if they can only get plenty of food and 

 water. During the day the elephants seek 

 the densest parts of the thickets, or plunge 

 into pools up to their heads in order to pro- 

 tect themselves against the flies and all sorts 

 of parasitic insects which frequently make 

 their abode on their skin. An elephant living 

 in a state of freedom is seldom seen without 

 having its back occupied by African beef- 

 eaters i^Biiphaga africana) and other birds, 

 which render it the service of seeking out 

 these parasites and the larvae which bore into 

 its skin. Without being entirely nocturnal 

 in their habits a herd of elephants yet rest 

 mostly by day, and set out on the march only 

 at sunset. 



The elephant is exclusively herbivorous. 

 All that he can reach with his trunk comes 

 right to him. Still he has his favourite plants. 

 He eagerly plunders certain trees by breaking 

 off thick branches, from which he not only 

 eats the leaves and the buds, but also strips 

 off and swallows the bark, and even eats the 

 wood. The ravages which a herd can com- 

 mit in the woods, and in sedge and bamboo 

 thickets, as well as in the plantations of the 

 natives, are extraordinary. Not only are the 

 branches broken all along the route selected 

 by such a troop, but even tolerably thick trees 

 are overthrown, and everything is trampled 

 into the ground. The interior of many 

 woods on the island of Ceylon, on the Sunda 

 Islands, and in the interior of Africa is acces- 

 sible only by the paths which the elephants 

 have made in traversing them. The herds 

 frequently number as many as a thousand in- 

 dividuals, and formerly, before man had com- 



menced his disastrous raids, they were, with- 

 out doubt, much more numerous. 



It will readily be understood that such 

 numerous companies of these huge animals 

 must lay waste the region in which they have 

 settled for a time. Moreover, the elephant 

 is essentially a vagabond which continually 

 changes its quarters and even undertakes great 

 migrations, in the course of which it is stopped 

 neither by rivers nor mountains, nor even by 

 sandy plains if they are not of too great size. 

 The elephant swims easily and long without 

 getting tired, merely keeping the end of his 

 trunk above the surface of the water. It 

 climbs among rocks with no little skill, man- 

 ages to find out the lowest passes in crossing 

 mountains, and knows how to overcome the 

 worst difficulties of the ground. But this 

 dexterity is often prejudiced by an excessive 

 caution. The movements of the animal are 

 in themselves neither graceful nor expert. It 

 is always a very ponderous clumsy creature, 

 greatly impeded by its own massiveness. 

 The trunk alone is worthy of admiration on 

 account of its flexibility, the certainty with 

 which its movements can be executed, and 

 the strength which it can put forth. But 

 otherwise the elephant is not very adroit. 

 Its gait is pretty slow, though the colossus 

 can run very fast when once in full career, 

 but this pace never lasts very long and is 

 always maintained in a straight line. The 

 animal turns only with difficulty, and a leap 

 to the side is usually enough to get men and 

 beasts when pursued out of the reach of its 

 fury. 



The elephant is very shy and mistrustful. 

 The slightest noise alarms him, and any kind 

 of artificial hindrance, however insignificant, 

 stops his progress. It is manifestly acquaint- 

 ance with man that has developed this timidity. 

 The powerful animal, which easily uproots a 

 moderately large tree, allows itself to be kept in 

 by a wretched stake stuck in the earth by man. 



The disposition of these giants is very 

 pacific. Observers have never been able to 



