286 WILD ANIMALS. 



the elephant is decidedly wanting in originality. To begin with, 

 the elephant displays less intelligence in its natural state than 

 most wild animals." After describing the stupidity exhibited by 

 the creatures in allowing themselves to be driven into an ill-con- 

 cealed enclosure, which no- other forest creatures could be got to 

 enter, and then in not attempting to escape by the very easy 

 process of destroying the stockade, he shows that they readily 

 fall into pits dug for them, and have not sufficient wisdom to 

 ever profit by experience, for escaped elephants are retaken 

 without trouble, and continues : " In its domesticated state one 

 of the elephant's chief characteristics is, as before stated, its 

 obedience; and it does many things, at the slightest hint from 

 its mahout, which must impress the on-looker unacquainted with 

 the craft of elephant-guidance. The driver's knees are placed 

 behind an elephant's ears as he sits on it, and it is by means of a 

 push, pressure, and other motions, that his directions are com- 

 municated, as with the pressure of the leg with trained horses in 

 a circus. It would be as reasonable, however, to credit perform- 

 ing dogs, which spell out replies to questions, with knowing what 

 they are saying, as elephants with appreciating the objects to 

 be gained by much which they do under the direction of their 

 riders. 



" All who have to deal with elephants will agree that their good 

 qualities cannot be exaggerated ; that their vices are few, and 

 only occur in exceptional animals; that they are neither 

 treacherous nor retentive of an injury ; and that they are obedient, 

 gentle, and patient beyond all other domestic animals. But it is 

 no traducement of the elephant to say that it is, in many things, 

 a decidedly stupid animal." 



This is a very sweeping assertion, and entirely does away with 

 the preconceived notions existing in' the minds of the public 

 respecting the animal, and although made by one whose know- 

 ledge is, probably, second to no other Englishman living respecting 

 elephantSj many think that Mr. Sanderson has, in correcting pubhc 

 opinion on the subject, exhibited a tendency to deprive the animals 

 of even the common attributes of all quadrupeds considered worth 

 taming. They may be stupid in allowing themselves to be easily 



