51 



another in wliicli an animal apparently fatigued by his struggles 

 in training " lay down as if quite exhausted, then reared suddenly 

 on the hind quarters, and fell on its side — dead I" This is a 

 phenomenon remarkable in its nature and frequency. Wo have 

 not enough information to enable us to decide whether the Heart 

 has reaUy given v/ay or death has resulted from shocli. 



CHAPTER VIII.— ON THE ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE. 



THE SKIN.— This oi-gan in the elephant is very sensitive 

 although very thick; harsh and coarse to the eye, it is just the 

 reverse to the touch in well kept animals, indeed both Pathology and 

 Physiology teach us how delicate it is. Its looseness of attachment 

 to the tissues beneath by a large quantity of elastic areolar tissue 

 adapts it well to admit of free and unrestrained movement of the 

 different parts of the body, it also serves to render the apparent 

 condition of elephants deceptive and to hide emaciation from 

 any but the experienced eye. This looseness of attachment accounts 

 for the great liability of elephant packs to work themselves loose 

 and also for the ability of the animal by bringing the muscle of 

 the skin, Panniculus Camosus, into action to free himself from 

 even apparently firmly secured trappings. It has been stated 

 that the skin is not tannable. Surgically, the thickness of the 

 skin prevents the pointing of abscesses, which are generally hard to " 

 the feel when fit for opening and their fluctuation is not preceptible. 

 Some curious ideas were prevalent concerning the absence of sur- 

 face hair on the elephant. As a matter of fact there are some 

 varieties in which the "coat" is very well developed (in the Mam- 

 moth there was not only a long shaggy coat of hair but a shorter 

 one of fur) . The amount of wear of the hairs of the body is an 

 indication of the age of a working elephant which affords a certain 

 amount of information. The hairs on the tail are enormous stout 

 bristles of horn, which are utilized by natives in the making of 

 ornaments. Many elephants shed the hair of their tails, and the 

 "Young Shikarry" expresses a feUow-feeling of sympathy for 

 the sportsman whose first elephant yields him only a black, bald, 

 wrinkled stump as a trophy 1 Tennent remarks ou the lighter 

 colour of wild than tame elephants, and it has been over and over 

 again remarked how difficult it is to see wild elephants in the 

 jungle because their_bodie3 look very much like rocks. Of course 



