442 PRACTICAL ZOOLOGY 



Elephants. — There are two species of elephants. The 

 Asiatic elephant inhabits the jungles of India. The African 

 elephant lives in tropical forests and is hunted for its tusks. 

 Both species possess five digits on each foot; are covered by a 

 thick, loose skin (whence they are called pachyderms) and a thin 

 coat of hair; have a long, muscular proboscis with nasal open- 

 ings at the tip; are provided with tusks which develop from the 

 incisors; possess small eyes and tail and enormous ears; and 

 are without canine teeth. The skull is massive, and the grinding 

 teeth are very large. 



Whales. — Whales are adapted to life in the water. They pos- 

 sess a very large head with elongated face and jaw bones; the 

 fore limbs are modified as paddles; the tail is flattened horizon- 

 tally and forms two lobes, the " flukes " ; the eyes are small, and 

 there is no external ear. The nostrils form a single opening, and 



Fig. 310. — The sperm whale. (From Flower and Lydekker.) 



the air, which is forced from it, condenses in the cold atmosphere, 

 appearing like a spout of water. Beneath the skin is a thick 

 layer of fat, or " blubber," which retains the body heat. The 

 teeth are numerous and conical in shape. 



Toothed Whales. — The common dolphin is a toothed whale 

 about seven feet in length; it occurs in the Mediterranean and 

 in the warmer portions of the Atlantic. The sperm inhale (Fig. 

 310) reaches a length of seventy-five feet, and is the largest 

 toothed whale. Its oil, spermaceti, and blubber are sought by 

 whalers. Cephalopods are its principal food. 



Whalebone Whales. — The whalebone whales possess teeth 

 only in the embryo; they are provided in the adult stage with 



