2 ON THE COPULATION OF THE INDIAN ELEPHANT.  [ Feb. 3, 
not therefore greatly excited, he may remain a very considerable 
time in this position: this has probably given rise to the tales 
that are told of the great length of time occupied by the act of 
copulation, which I have heard put at two hours. 
Eventually, however, the time arrives when the tusker proceeds 
to action. First one fore foot, and then the other, is lifted off the 
ground, and slowly swung from side to side across his front, 
exactly as though he were deliberating from which foot to take 
off. Then, levering himself up by his tusks, he places both fore 
feet on the female’s flanks, at the same time sinking down on his 
hind legs to an almost sitting position. It is at this moment that 
he shows the most violent sexual excitement. His organ, which 
up till now has been bent back in the form of an arc, with its end 
near the ground, and a few inches only in front of his hind feet, 
is shot forward, and jerked up and down in a most violent manner. 
It is flourished in the air, and often bent into the form of an § 
like the thong of a whip, during which semen may or may not be 
emitted. At one moment the organ appears outside the tusker’s 
shoulder, the next it is seen protruding out behind his hind legs. 
It is kept in a state of continual agitation, and not for one single 
moment is it still. Hventually it is jerked up straight forward 
and hits the female organ from below. Penetration is then 
immediately effected without further difficulty. The tusker then 
raises himself until his hind legs are quite straight, his organ is 
pushed home, and his fore feet are slid along the female’s back 
until they rest on her shoulders. Arrived at this position, he 
begins to work very much after the fashion of a dog, and I 
usually counted from six to eight horizontal motions. Connection 
being then complete, the tusker lifts his tusks off the female’s 
back and raises his head into the air. In this position he remains 
for a few seconds, and then slowly withdraws his organ, letting 
himself gently down to the ground in the same way that he 
mounted, and quietly moves off. It is then that the female 
shows her only signs of excitement: she trumpets softly as with 
pleasure, thrusts forward her ears and stiffens her tail, her whole 
conduct being indicative of pleasure and pride. The tusker is 
throughout perfectly silent. 
It is noteworthy that at no time does the tusker use his fore legs 
to steady himself or to grip the female as does a dog or a stallion ; 
the feet are invariably kept close together on the top of the female’s 
back, and I can quite believe the statement of the Burmans that 
it makes no difference whether his feet are fettered or not. 
I was tinable to distinguish any sign by which I could tell when 
a female was in season, but three out of the four females in camp 
did come into season during the period of 10 days in February 
during which they were under observation. 
The operation was accurately timed on one occasion, and was 
found to last exactly one minute. 
From my own observations, I am convinced it is the female 
that comes in season, and that until she does so come the tusker 
