ELEPHANTS. 285 



without investigation. There is in consequence an undoubted 

 tendency existing to overrate their mental powers, and, in fact, to 

 confer upon them the highest order of reasoning faculties, that of 

 drawing deductions and correct conclusions from facts coming 

 within their own observation, and of which they could have had no 

 previous knowledge or experience. This would place them far 

 beyond other animals, dogs not excepted, in the scale of intelli- 

 gence, and almost upon a par with man himself. Those who are 

 well acquainted with the habits and natures of these creatures 

 deny them any such place, and pronounce the tales told in many 

 natural history books, and books of anecdotes about animals, as 

 mere fables gathered together from different unauthentic sources ; 

 and if any particle of truth exists in them as a foundation the 

 facts are so exaggerated and travestied that they are not even fit 

 ■ to amuse children, for they have a tendency to fill their minds 

 with spurious knowledge. 



In Hone's " Bvery-Day Book for 1825," there is a copy of 

 Atkins's advertisement of the elephant to be seen in his " Royal 

 Menagerie," which reads as follows : " The colossal animal : the 

 wonderful performing elephant, upwards of ten feet high ! Five 

 tons weight ! His consumption of hay, corn, straw, carrots, 

 water, &c., exceeds 800 lbs. daily. The elephant, the human 

 race excepted, is the most respectable of animals." 



What Atkins meant by respectable is left for every one to 

 form their own opinion, but the adjective may be certainly used 

 to describe his intellectual position among animals; in fact, accord- 

 ing to Sanderson, instead of being an exceptionally wise animal, 

 its sagacity is of a very mediocre description : " The truth of 

 this opinion no one who has lived amongst elephants can doubt." 

 He writes : " One of the strongest features in the domesticated 

 elephant's character is its obedience. It may also be readily 

 taught, as it has a large share of the ordinary cultivable intelU- 

 gence common, in a greater or less degree, to all animals. But 

 its reasoning faculties are undoubtedly far below those of the dog, 

 and possibly of other animals ; and in matters beyond the range 

 of its daily experience it evinces no special discernment. "Whilst 

 fairly quick at comprehending anything sought to be taught to it. 



