190 MAMMALIA. [Cuap. VI. 
animal. They vented their rage upon every tree and 
plant within reach; if small enough to be torn down, 
they levelled them with their trunks, and stripping them 
of their leaves and branches, they tossed them wildly 
over their heads on all sides. Some in their struggles 
made no sound, whilst others bellowed and trumpeted 
furiously, then uttered short convulsive screams, and at 
last, exhausted and hopeless, gave vent to their anguish 
in low and piteous moanings. Some, after a few violent 
efforts of this kind, lay motionless on the ground, with 
no other indication of suffering than the tears which 
suffused their eyes and flowed incessantly. Others in all 
the vigour of their rage exhibited the most surprising 
contortions; and to us who had been accustomed to 
associate with the unwieldy bulk of the elephant the 
idea that he must of necessity be stiff and inflexible, 
the attitudes into which they forced themselves were 
almost incredible. I saw one lie with the cheek pressed 
to the earth, and the fore-legs stretched in front, whilst 
the body was twisted round till the hind-legs extended 
in the opposite direction. 
It was astonishing that their trunks were not wounded 
by the violence with which they flung them on all sides. 
One twisted his proboscis into such fantastic shapes, that 
it resembled the writhings of a gigantic worm ; he coiled 
it and uncoiled it with restless rapidity, curling it up 
like a watch-spring, and suddenly unfolding it again to 
its full length. Another, which lay otherwise motion- 
less in all the stupor of hopeless anguish, slowly beat 
the ground with the extremity of his trunk, as a man 
in despair beats his knee with the palm of his hand. 
They displayed an amount of sensitiveness and de- 
licacy of touch in the foot, which was very remarkable 
