THE ELEPHANT. 123 



conspicuous ; and in the full-grov/n animal tliey mea • 

 sure sometimes so much as ten feet from their 

 sockets *. It is but rarely that they are seen in the 

 females ; and when they appear they are but small, 

 and their direction is somewhat downwards. 



This is undoubtedly the largest of all terrestrial 

 animals, arriving sometimes at the height of twelve 

 feet ; though the more general height seems to be 

 from nine to ten. It is said to live to the age of 

 a hundred, or a hundred and twenty, years. — 

 The female seldom produces more than one 

 at a birth. This, when first born, is about three 

 feet high, and continues growing till it is six- 

 teen or eighteen years old. The teats of the fe- 

 male are two, seated at a small distance behind the 

 fore-legs. 



The eyes are extremely small ; and the cars very 

 large and pendulous. The form indeed of the 

 whole animal is very awkward : the head is large ; 

 the body large ; the back much arched ; the legs 

 extremely thick, and very short; and the feet 

 slightly divided into, or rather edged with, live 

 rounded hoofs. The tail is terminated by a lew 

 scattered, very thick, black hairs. 



In the structure of the Elephant, the most sin- 

 gular organ is the trunk or proboscis. 1 his is an 

 extension of the canals of the nose : it; is very long, 

 composed of a great number of cart ila^i nous rings^ 



* Tlie largest tusks imported into iLncIap:! measure seven feet in 

 length, and weigh ah<iiit l/jOlb. cacli. 'I'nfie is one ii\ tlie I-e\eriau 

 Jvluii'um about eight I'cctlong, wliicli however weighs only ilJlh. 



