MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 539 
carried. Their early years are spent carrying loads until they grow sufficiently 
to permit the dragging of small logs. From this, they develop into the working 
elephants, which spend their lives in the extraction of timber, the royalty and 
duty on which places many lacs of rupees into the coffers of Burma. 
The Sgau Karens have handled elephants for generations, and numbers of 
calves have been born to their herds. It is common to meet men who compare 
their ages with those of their working elephants, and it is sometimes more easy 
to judge the elephant’s age than the man’s. Numbers of calves born amongst 
the herds of elephants employed and owned by large timber working firms are 
to be seen nowadays, born and bred, trained, worked and growing aged in capti- 
vity. 
I recently sent you photographs of twin-calves and hope to pass on to you later 
a photograph of ‘‘ three generations ”’ and one of a calf less than eight hours old. 
At times calves are amusing and at others most exasperating : they are always 
interesting however. 
GORDON HUNDLEY. 
Movutmetn, Burma, 
30th August 1921. 
The Photo referred to was published in Vol. XX VII, No. 3. 
[Col. G. H. Evans in his book ‘“‘ Elephants and their Diseases ”’ says :— 
“ Male elephants, and very rarely females, on attaining maturity are subject 
to peculiar periodical paroxysms of excitement, which seem to have some con- 
nection with the sexual functions to which the name musth is applied by the 
natives of India and mon-kyathi by the Burmans. It is probably analogous to 
the rut in deer. 
Causes.—It occurs both in wild and tame animals, and in the latter is more 
often met with in highly-fed pampered beasts that receive insufficient exercise. 
It occurs most frequently in the cold season and may perhaps be due to ungrati- 
fied sexual desire in some cases, but not always so, since the society of a female 
by no means always quells or even pacifies animals in musth. At other times 
an animal in musth undoubtedly seeks a mate of the opposite sex. 
Symptoms.—Musth occurs frequently in some beasts, seldom in others, so that 
the intervals are variable in different animals and in the same manner so are 
the symptoms. More or less excitement is usual, but on the other hand some 
elephants become dull and morose. The behaviour changes, shown by 
disobedience to commands, trying to break away, or showing violence to man 
or destructive tendencies and being altogether out of sorts. The temples 
become puffy, due to swelling of the temporal glands which lie beneath the skin 
and at this stage is called by many mahouts kherr musth ; later an oily 
discharge exudes from the hole or duct over the gland which is then called 
musth by the natives. When musth is established there is often a partial 
retention of urine, the water dribbling away. As soon, however, as the urine 
is passed freely the natives consider the dangerous stage over, irrespective of 
the amount of discharge from the glands. 
The attack may last a few days, weeks or months. In some cases cowardiy 
mahouts are said at a certain stage of the attack to administer some species of 
pumpkin which has the effect of abating the excitement, etc. The effect of such 
treatment, however, is said to be very prejudicial to the health of the animal. 
Mr. Petley informs me that once musth is established it ought to come on every 
year althoughin no particular month, and he has known elephants in which owing 
to overwork or ill-health the usual occurrence of musth has failed, to become 
useless for work. The only remedy is to set them free for months until musth 
again comes on, after which care should be taken to see such animals are treated 
with extra care.’’—Eds. ] 
