120 MAMMALIA. 



On coming into the -world, the young Pachj-derm is about a metre 

 high. It enjoj's the use of all its organs, and is strong enough to 

 follow its parents. When it wants to suck, it turns its trunk over 

 backwards, and takes the milk from its mother's teat with its 

 mouth, and not with its trunk, as certain authors have affirmed. 

 The suckling period lasts for about two years. 



The Elephant is endowed with very great intelligence, of which 

 we will give some proofs. It understands justice — that is to say, 

 it renders good for good and evil for evil. 



The mahout (groom and driver) of an Elephant broke, out of 

 spite, one day, a cocoa-nut on the head of his beast. Next day, the 

 Elephant, passing along a street, perceived some cocoa-nuts exposed 

 for sale in front of a shop. He took one in his trunk, and gave 

 his driver such a severe blow with it on his forehead that he feU 

 dead on the spot. 



A young man who had amused himself by offering a piece of 

 sugar a great many times to an Elejjhant, and by as often with- 

 drawing it, at last gave it to another Elephant. Offended at this 

 teazing, the former seized the young man with its trunk, inflicted 

 some severe bruises on his face, and tore his clothes to pieces. 

 The keepers were obliged to run to the assistance of this imprudent 

 fellow, and make the furious animal relax his hold of him. 



An Elephant was in the habit of elongating his trunk and put- 

 ting it in at the windows of the houses of Acheen (in the north of 

 Sumatra), as if to ask for fruits or roots, for the inhabitants used 

 to take a pleasure in giving them to it. One morning, it pre- 

 sented the extremity of its trunk at the window of a tailor, who, 

 instead of giving the Elephant what it wanted, pricked its trunk 

 with his needle. The animal appeared to bear this insult with 

 patience. It went quietly on do^\'n to the river, whither the 

 mahout, or driver, led it each morning to wash. On this occasion 

 it stirred up the mud with one of its front feet, and drew into its 

 trunk a great quantity of this dirty water. "VVhen it was returning 

 home through the street in which the tailor's 'shop was situated, it 

 advanced towards the window, and spouted the water in on him 

 with such firodigious force that the tailor and his workmen were 

 jjitched off their shop-board and struck with terror. 



Buffon relates the following trait : — 



" A painter wished to make a di^awing of the Elephant of the 



