QUALITIES OF IVORY 225 



inch through had formed around the bullet. Among the 

 numerous interior growths several cuplike hollow masses 

 are to be noted, one of these being 4J in. across, 4 in. 

 high and 3J in. wide. In still another example a tusk 

 measuring 6 in. across contained certain rounded 

 growths of a whitish or yellowish dentine in which could 

 be observed very small globular masses of a pronounced 

 yellow. These minute globules were of an almost saffron 

 yellow, apparently striated, and represented a different or 

 subsidiary growth to that of the main mass. These speci- 

 mens afford good evidence that many elephants are struck 

 by shots but are not killed. In other words, judging from 

 the number of tusks showing encysted iron or lead bullets, 

 it is self-evident that these were not the bullets that ended 

 the animal's life; of course the wounding of the tusk would 

 at most give an elephant a powerful shock, and unless the 

 shot that hit the tusk were closely followed by another 

 to the brain, the animal would escape practically uninjured, 

 and when the tusk has been traversed by the ball the direc- 

 tion usually indicates that it could not have inflicted a 

 mortal wound even if its momentum were not too much 

 lessened by the resistance of the ivory it had passed through. 

 Instances of recent shooting showed that the ball had shat- 

 tered the tusk and this had regrown, thereby proving that 

 the bullet in question had not been that which had killed 

 the elephant. 



Of the irregular masses of exostotic ivory, one was 5 

 in. long and weighed 3 pounds. One of these growths 

 resembled a seaborn. In one instance the tusk showed a 

 large opening, beginning at its outer edge, running well into 

 it and making a hollow space; this was apparently due to 

 disease. In several examples a growth was to be seen ex- 

 tending across from one side of the tusk to the other, form- 

 ing a sort of Siamese-twin ligature. 



