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vigour of the male sometimoa induces the female to go down on her 

 fore knees and rest her forehead against the ground, especially as 

 the congress lasts for some time. A writer in the Oriental Sporting 

 Magazine gives us some interesting details — " I have only once 

 been a distant eyewitness to the copulation of elephants." * * * 

 "A. tusker seemed to be struggling in a pitfall with his head and 

 fore quarters alone visible, the animal seemingly standing on his 

 hind legs, endeavouring to escape from the snare. Upon my bring- 

 ing my glass to bear upon him, I at once saw what it was- The 

 female was standing in a deep but dry nullah which branched out 

 from the main water course : it was not more than o ft. in breadth ; 

 the male had a forefoot resting on either bank thus in a great 

 measure the weight of his body was thrown off the cow. The end 

 of his trunk was twined round her throat; uearlyten minutes 

 elapsed without their shifting their positions and not a sound 

 was emitted from their throats wlule in conjunction. Ultimately, 

 both animals moved off silently and rejoined the herd, which all 

 the time had remained at a distance." Natives say one leap is 

 certain to suffice, also that the animals take over an hour in copu- 

 lation. This observation seems most reliable, and (\vith another 

 case observed by a large number of officers in l^hayetmyo, and 

 photographed) ought to conclusively establish the fact {_that 

 the elephant copulates in the position ordinary to quadrupeds 

 availing himself when possible of the conformation of the 

 ground to lessen the burden of his weight on the female. 

 We have ali-eady commented on the facts that elephants used 

 to breed in captivity in the time of the Moguls and Cartha- 

 ginians, that they do so in Siam in the present day, and that 

 they have not the conditions necessary to enable them to do so in 

 Anglo-Indian domestication — nor would it be economical to have 

 elephant breeding studs so long as a sufficient supply can be ob- 

 tained by capture. Females in calf or with calf at foot are sometimes 

 captured, and the little ones make funny pets, being] very playful, 

 and sometimes veiy mischievous. Ihe duratio7i of pregnancy is saii 

 to be 20 mos. and 18 days (Corse); 22 mos. with male calf, 18 mos. 

 with female (Sanderson). Instances of elephants breeding in capti- 

 vity are given in the "Asian" for 5th June 1883. The duration of 

 pregnancy was 583 to 080 days. The placental membrane forma a 

 ring round the body of the foetus, and the mammary glands are 



