172 Anecdotal Natural History. 



obtained by exchange from Paris, and the female, 

 "Alice," was purchased in 1865. 



Of all these creatures, the Indian specimens are 

 the most generally interesting, being playful, and 

 so gentle that they are quite pleased when the 

 keeper's children enter their enclosure. Now, 

 Jumbo, though a good-tempered and docile beast 

 enough, had for some time been so uncertain in his 

 temper, that only his keeper, Scott, dared to enter the 

 cage alone. 



Temporary madness does not exclusively belong 

 to the male elephant, as is generally supposed. 

 With him, it is almost sure to take place after he has 

 attained adult age. 



The Indian magnates are so well aware of this fact 

 that in order to gratify their love of a peculiar 

 department of sport, akin to the bull-fights of Spain, 

 and the badger-drawing, bear-fighting, and dog and 

 cock-fighting, which until lately disgraced our own 

 country, they keep a number of adult male ele- 

 phants for the purpose of fighting. 



Elephants are mild enough except when in the state 

 of "must," as this peculiar condition is called, and 

 when two "must" elephants are placed in proximity 

 to each other, how they fight is admirably told by 

 Dr. W. Knighton in his " Private Life of an Eastern 

 King." 



Mr. Davis, the American agent who came to buy 

 Jumbo, mentioned to me that out of the great 

 number of elephants which had been possessed by 

 the firm for which he is acting, some of the most 

 dangerous were females. Few of my readers may 

 be old enough to recollect " Madame Jack," the 

 elephant which took an important part in several 

 plays at the Adelphi Theatre, many years ago. She, 

 like others, went mad, killed her keeper, and, I 



