226 TWO YEARS IN- THE JUNGLE. 



tusk far above the average size. In a pile of nearly a hundred Indian 

 elephant tusks which I saw in the Custom House at Bombay, not 

 one measured five feet in length, and most of them were under 

 four feet. 



In Hindustan, all male eleph&nts have tusks, except about one 

 out of every ten, which, on account of their absence, is called a 

 "muckna." The tips of the tusks project beyond the hp of the 

 male animal almost as soon as born, and I have even seen them 

 showing very distinctly in a half-gi-owu foetus. Sanderson asserts, 

 well supported by the best of evidence, that these baby tusks are 

 never shed, notwithstanding the common assertion to the contrary. 

 The female elephants and the mucknas all have miniature tusks, 

 the points of which at first project a few inches beyond the lip, 

 but they are very soon broken short off at the lip, leaving a rough, 

 jagged end which is much used in barking trees, etc. 



The natives of India divide elephants into three very distinct 

 castes, or classes, with as much precision as do the most captious 

 breeders of fancy animals, and all local prices are based upon 

 this classification. Commercially, all tame elej^hants are di%ided 

 into two classes, those for use, and those for show. For the 

 same reason that every English gentleman of distinction has a 

 long retinue of choice initial letters marching in solemn pro- 

 cession after his name, every Indian prince or nobleman keeps a 

 train of showy elephants to add to his prestige. Lately, however, 

 the elephants, besides being veiy expensive to keep, have become 

 very high-priced, and the EngHsh Government, with commendable 

 forethought, has commenced to distribute initials among the native 

 rajahs and maharajahs to take the place of the animals. I believe 

 that among the more enlightened natives, " C. S. L" is considered 

 equal to three first class tuskers. 



All other things being equal, the price paid for an elephant in 

 the Indian market depends almost wholly uj^on the points of the 

 animal, or, in other words, upon his class. Sanderson says : " Ele- 

 phants are divided by natives into three castes or breeds, distin- 

 guished by their physical confoiTnation ; these are termed in Bengal, 

 Koomeriah, Dwasala, and Meerga, which terms may be considered 

 to signify thorough-bred, half-bred, and third-rate. 



" Whole herds frequently consist of Dwasalas, but never of Koo- 

 meriahs or Meergas alone ; these, I have found, occur respectively in 

 the proportion of from ten to fifteen per cent, among ordinary 

 elephants. 



