e~ 
538 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII, 
the hobbles, and turns him loose. The beast is then enabled to follow his inclina- 
tions and to wander at will amongst the surrounding forest. He secures his 
natural fodder in the usual way, helping himself to various kinds of grasses, 
creepers, etc. Should he desire a mud-bath, a sun-bath or a wallow ina pool, 
there is nought to prevent him. He doses beneath the cool vegetation at will 
and meets his own fellows and at times passes amongst wild animals. 
Consequently this comparatively free life permitsof the production of young 
under almost natural conditions. 
Forest growth is usually so dense that even a large herd is completely hidden 
at a short distance and it is extremely difficult to watch the animals without 
attracting their attention. As no apparent signs are shown by females when in 
a state of “‘ heat’ and because of the denseness of their surroundings, the act of 
fecundation is comparatively seldom witnessed. A male will remain in close 
company tothe female fora period upto fourteen days when she is in this 
condition and the difficulty of ascertaining the accomplishment of the act 
renders the calculation of the period of gestation somewhat vague. In cases 
n which witnesses reported the act, the period varied from twenty months to 
twenty-two months. Evans, in his book upon Elephants, refers to reports which 
extend from seventeen to twenty-four months. 
Cases are known in which the sire has been a wild male, but my own experience 
has never embraced these conditions. 
The male elephant on reaching a certain age, developes a peculiar condition 
called “* Musth ” periodically and this condition is believed to be connected in 
some way with the desire for sexual intercourse. There are records existing 
and reports which are irrefutable, proving that male elephants in ‘‘ musth ” 
enjoy connection when in this condition, but the experiences of the writer prove 
also that ‘‘ musth ”’ has little to do with the sexual instinct. In all cases seen 
and known of personally, the males were never in ‘‘ musth ”’ at the time. 
While in ‘‘ musth ’’, a male sometimes becomes bad-tempered and the produc- 
tion of a female to his vicinity will calm him. The advent of the female to 
another *‘ musth ” elephant, will increase his temper, which sometimes grows 
beyond bounds and the male becomes unmanageable. , 
I believe the state of ‘‘ musth ”’ has little or no connection with sexual instinct, 
but that the female, in some way, conveys her desire to the male. 
Should a female be known to be pregnant, she is allowed light work and a 
longish rest before the calf is expected but, in some cases, calves have appeared 
unexpectedly while the mother was grazing or even during work. Usually they 
are born while the mother is roaming loose and soon after birth the little one can 
stand and stagger. A few hours after birth he can walk. Calves measured 
shortly after birth averaged two feet ten inches. This measurement is from 
the ground to the shoulder. ; 
It is curious, but true, that a calf usually adopts a foster mother, who assists 
the dam in protecting and caring for the calf. Should the foster mother be preg- 
nant, she must be moved or the calf will render the coming of her own calf a 
hungry one. The departure of the foster mother will be borne with anger and 
her return welcomed with pleasure by the little one. 
Calves soon learn to pluck grasses, etc., and although they will suckle up to 
three or more years, a continually increasing amount of green fodder is taken. 
Some believe that suckling is by the trunk, but itis not so. The trunk is curled 
above the forehead while suckling. 
The training of the calf usually begins when he is about five years old, but the 
Karen, who is the most expert elephant man, has been seen with trained youngs- 
ters, which could not have been more than four years old. The little beast is 
taught to allow himself to be fettered and loosed, to squat down and to rise, etc., 
until a small saddle is placed upon his back and as time passes a small load is 
