368 APPENDIX 



of cakes of wheaten flour, baked without leaven, to a weight of about 

 2 lb. each, and given with a slight spreading of clarified butter. In 

 the South and East, where wheat is scarce, plain uncooked rice is 

 given instead. The daily ration of a full-sized animal of, say 8^ feet 

 high, is 24 lb. of flour, or 32 lb. of rice. "When one of these sorts of 

 food is substituted for the other, it should be done gradually; and 

 when rice is first given a part of it should be boiled for some weeks. 

 The above rations are for an animal in hard work. In the Govern- 

 ment Commissariat Department, where great numbers of elephants 

 are kept almost in idleness for a great part of the year, lower rations 

 are given. But the treatment of these elephants is by no means a 

 model for imitation. In a state of nature the animal takes an im- 

 mense deal of exercise. Here they get no work to speak of between 

 the close of one marching season (March) and the beginning of the 

 next (November). They pass quite out of condition during this time ; 

 and many are lost from complaints generated by these sudden alter- 

 nations of work and idleness. In the text I have urged the employ- 

 ment of these elephants during this season in the organised destruction 

 of wild beasts. Of course the amoimt of the ration will vary some- 

 what with the size of the animal, and elephants, like horses, have 

 their idiosyncrasies in the matter of feeding. A sharp look-out requires 

 to be kept over the mahouts at feeding-time, otherwise great part of 

 the allowance wiQ probably go to Moula Bux, wife, small family, and 

 the several fathers, brothers, and cousins, who usually aim at getting 

 " half a seer of flour " apiece out of their great milch cow — ^master's 

 elephant. About half a pound of clarified butter, and the same amount 

 of salt shouild be allowed daily with the food ; and spice-balls should 

 be administered about once a week. Besides these rations an elephant 

 devours an enormous amoimt of fodder. The principal substances 

 given him are the branches of various trees of the fig tribe, banyan, 

 peepul, and goolar. The leaves of the peepul are eaten, but should 

 be avoided in the hot season for reasons before mentioned. Of the 

 others the inner bark of the larger branches, and the whole substance 

 of smaller twigs alone are eaten. It is astonishing to observe the 

 adroitness with which the elephant peels off the delicate inner bark 

 in long strips, and rejects all the rest. This fastidiousness necessitates 

 an immense supply of branches every day; and the elephant always 

 goes out with his keeper to bring in as much as he can carry at a time. 

 The bamboo is also eaten, but wiH not be accepted very long at a 

 time. Other trees are also eaten in the jungle, but as they are seldom 

 accessible to tame elephants, they need not be referred to. A long 

 species of grass (Typha elephantina), which grows in many tanks and 

 rivers during the rainy season, forms excellent fodder for elephants, 

 who are very fond of it ; and when they have been much pulled down 

 by a season's hard work, they should, if possible, be sent to pick up 

 again where this fodder is plentiful. In the absence of the above 

 descriptions of fodder, the stalks of millet, called Kurbee, or even 

 dry grass, may be given, but it wiU not satisfy them long without 

 a mixture of green food. Sugar-cane is a great treat, and in 



