ELEPHAS INDtCUS. 229 



incisors. The carpus has the same number of bones as in man, and there 

 are five complete bony phalanges. The stomach is simple ; the intestines 

 voluminous, and the colon and ccBCum are enoimous. The testes of the 

 male are deeply situated in the abdomen near the kidneys. The brain has 

 numerous small but deep convolutions, and the cerebellum is very large. 

 There are two genera of elephants distinguished by the form of the molars, 

 but one of them is now extinct. 



Gen. Elbphas, Linn.«:us. 



Char. — Molars usually 2 on each side above and below, the crown 

 flattened. They are formed of a number of vertical lamellae consisting of 

 bone, enamel, and another substance, called cortical or crusta petrosa. 



The huge tusks are cylindrical with a conical tip, like the so-called 

 incisors of rodents ; which, as before stated, they closely resemble, and they 

 grow from a persistent pulp which is constantly forming new ivory. They 

 are formed of ivory and enamel only. The laminse of the molar teeth are 

 arranged transversely to the direction of the jaw ; also as in rodents. The 

 grinders succeed each other from behind forwards, so that each tooth as 

 it becomes worn is pushed forwards by the one behind it, and thus at 

 times the elephant has only one, at other times two molars on each side, 

 according to its age. It is said that these molars are renewed eight 

 times in some elephants. The tusks are only renewed once, between the 

 first and second years of age. The skin is very thick and nearly devoid of 

 hairs. 



Elephants are huge unwieldy animals with large ears, long and thick 

 limbs, and a long tail. They only occur now in the tropical regions of the 

 old world, but in former ages were also denizens of even the northern 

 portions of the old continent. There are two well marked species, one 

 from Africa, the other Indian, and a third species is indicated. 



211. Elephas indicus. 



CuviBK.— Blyth, Cat. p. 134.— Elliot, Cat. 48.—^. asiaticus, Blumen- 

 s±cn.—Hathi, H.—Ani, Tarn., Tel., Can., and M&l—Yem, of the Gonds. 



The Indian Elephant. 

 Descr. —Eea.d oblong with a concave forehead; crowns of the molars 



