AFRICAN ELEPHANT 



117 



presented b}' Sir A. Bailey, measures 7 feet 9 inches on 

 the outer curve. Two pairs in the South African Museum 

 measure 7 feet 3 inches and 7 feet 1 inch respectively. 



Habits. — Elephants are fond of dark and thick forests 

 or open scattered bush in the neighbourhood of streams. 

 The males go about singly or in small herds during the 

 dry season. They travel preferably by night and stand 

 sleeping under a tree during the daytime. They drink 



Pig. 41. — Eoped up ! 



and bathe at sundown and feed during the night or in 

 the early morning. 



They are herbivorous animals and by reason of their 

 enormous strength can in a single night do a large 

 amount of damage to fences and crops, although their 

 usual food consists of leaves, bark, roots, twigs, fruit and 

 grass. 



In South Africa Elephants are to-day only found in 

 the Knysna Forest and the Addo Bush of Cape Colony : 



