ANIMAL GIANTS 5 



heed to the animals themselves, restricting attention to the actual 

 performance, but if intelligent observation be displayed one can gain 

 some idea of the use of the limbs and the general structure of an 

 animal thus exhibited. 



I was recently watching a well-known troupe of performing 

 Elephants, and although I am not desirous on this occasion of 

 entering into the question of the rights or wrongs of the treatment 

 meted out to these remarkable creatures before they are capable of 

 going through such extraordinary evolutions, , the fact remains that 

 much time and patience must have been displayed in training the 

 animals to such a high state of proficiency. When they are moving 

 about in imitation of a dance, or sitting down, standing on a tub, 

 lifting one or more legs, or even standing bolt upright on the head, 

 the mobility of the limbs, in spite of the absence of angulation at 

 the joints, is very marked. 



Hunted very largely for the sake of its valuable ivory tusks, the 

 Elephant — and the African species in particular — has disappeared 

 from many of its former haunts, and in several districts is now as 

 extinct as its venerable ancestors already mentioned earlier in this 

 chapter. 



When first captured great strategy has to be adopted in dealing 

 with the animal under review, even though it may have celebrate^d 

 only its first birthday, as in the case of the twelve-months-old baby 

 shown in Fig. 3. This is a photograph of a young Indian Elephant 

 belonging to King George V. When it stood for its portrait it had 

 been roped because it had just arrived from India, and had only been 

 out of its packing-case a few minutes. 



How different the surroundings of the pure, unfettered wild from 

 the dark recesses of the Elephant-house, and yet, on reflection, the 

 huge beasts appear for the most part to take very kindly to their 

 transported state, and evince remarkable traits most interesting to 

 notice. 



They have keen memories, and although they will after a time 

 develop much regard for those responsible for their charge, they 

 never forgive cruel treatment, and sooner or later, as many instances 

 show, will have revenge in no uncertain manner. 



Utilized by mankind in foreign climes for transport, sporting 

 and other purposes, the Elephant is, as a result, sought after, not 

 only for the valuable ivory tusks to be obtained from it, but for the 

 help it may render in the living state. In time of both peace and 



