68 THEPHILOSOPHY 



of a pathe'dc expreffion of fentiment. He turns them flowly, and 

 with mildnefs, toward his mafter. When he fpeaks, the animal re- 

 gards him with an eye of friendlhip and attention. He Teems to 

 refledl with dehberation, and never determines till he has examined, 

 without paffion or precipitation, the orders which he is defired to 

 obey. The dog, whofe eyes are very expreffive, is too prompt and 

 vivacious to allow us to diftinguifh with eafe the fucceffive fliades 

 of his fenfations. But, as the elephant is naturally grave and mo- 

 derate, we perceive in his eyes the order and fucceffion of his 

 thoughts. His ears are v^ry large, and much longer, even in pro- 

 portion to his body, than thole of the afs. They lie flat on the 

 head, and are commonly pendulous ; but he can raife and move 

 them with fuch facility, that he ufes them as a fan to cool himfelf, 

 and to defend his eyes from dull and iniefls. His ear is likewife 

 remarkably fine ; for he delights in the found of mufical inflru- 

 ments, and moves in cadence to the trumpet and tabour. 



But, in the ftrudure of the elephant, the moft fingular organ Is 

 his trunk or probofcis. It is compofed of membranes, nerves, and 

 mufcles; and it is at once an inftrument of feeling and of motion. 

 The animal can not only move and bend the trunk, but he can 

 contraft, lengthen, and turn it on all fides. The extremity of the 

 trunk terminates in a protuberance that ftretches out on the upper 

 fide in the form of a finger ; by means of which he lifts from the 

 ground the fmalleft pieces of money ; he feleds herbs and flow- 

 ers, and picks them up one by one; he unties the knots of ropes, 

 opens and Ihuts gates by turning the keys or pufliing back the bolts. 

 In the middle of this protuberance or finger, there is a cavity in the 

 form of a cup, and, in the bottom of the cup are the apertures of 

 the two organs of fmelling and refpiration. This hand of the ele- 

 phant poflTcfl'es feveral advantages over that of the human. It is 

 more flexible, and equally dexterous in laying hold of objeds. Be- 



fides. 



