1902.] 



BIRTH OF AN ELEPHANT. 



321 



that he examined the mother before she reached the Society's 

 Gardens, and noticed some swelling of the breasts, but no other 

 signs of approaching maternity. During the stay of the animal 

 in the Gardens no further increase of size in the mammte was 

 observable; and, as there was no apparent increase of bulk in 

 the abdominal region, the idea of pregnancy was abandoned. 

 Dr. Thomas Stevens, of Guy's Hospital, was so good as to examine 

 the animal ; but he was unable to detect any obvious signs of 

 pregnancy. However, on Sunday morning, the 31st of August, 

 the animal produced a calf, the exact circumstances concerning 

 the birth of which I subjoin from Mr. Thomson's report upon the 

 matter : — 



" On my arrival at the Elephant-house about 9.15 I stopped to 

 look at the Elephant. I could see at once by the way she was 

 walking about the den, sometimes forward and sometimes back- 

 ward, and every now and then stooping with her hind legs and 



Text-fig. 60. 



Newly -born dead Indian Elephant, ? . 

 (Prom a photograph bj- Mr. W. P. Dando, P.Z.S.) 



straining very much, that a young Elephant would soon be 

 born. The keepers had all gone (as is usual on Sunday mornings), 

 and I left the house to seek assistance and to send for the 

 keepers. On my return about 9.45 a.m. the young Elephant had 

 been born, and was lying dead in the middle of the den. I had 

 the mother chained up, and then with the greatest care removed 

 the dead animal, with the placenta, just as I found it, to the 

 dead-house. The mother was very quiet, and did not in any way 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1902, Vol. II. No. XXI. 21 



