202 THE ELEPHANT. 
The molar teeth also afford excellent indications of the country to which 
their owner has belonged, for the enamel upon the surface of the teeth of the 
Asiatic Elephant is moulded into a number of narrow bands like folded 
ribands, while that of the African species is formed into five or six diamond 
or lozenge-shaped folds. Indeed, each molar tooth seems to be composed of 
a number of flat, broad teeth, which are fastened closely together, so as to 
form a single large mass. Only a portion of each tooth is externally visible, 
the remainder being hidden in the jaw, and moving forward as the exposed 
portion is worn away. When the whole tooth is thus worn out, it falls from 
the jaw, and its place is taken by another which has been forming behind it. 
In this manner the Elephant sheds its molar teeth six or seven times in the 
course of its life. The tusks, however, are permanent, and are retained 
during the whole of the animal’s existence. In the Indian Elephant, only 
the males are furnished with tusks, and not every individual of that sex, 
whereas in the African species both sexes are supplied with these valuable 
appendages, those of the male being much larger and heavier than those of 
his mate. 
The strangest portion of the Elephant’s form is the trunk or proboscis. 
This wonderful appendage is in fact a development of the upper lips and the 
nose, and is perforated through its entire length by the nostrils, and furnished 
at its extremity with a kind of finger-like appendage, which enables the 
animal to pluck a single blade of grass, or to pick a minute object from the 
ground. The value of the proboscis to the Elephant is incredible ; without 
its aid the creature would soon starve. The short, thick neck would prevent 
it from stooping to graze, while the projecting tusks would effectually hinder 
it from reaching any vegetables which might grow at the level of its mouth. 
And as it would be unable to draw water into its mouth without the use of 
the trunk, thirst would in a very short time end its existence. 
In order to support the enormous weight of the teeth, tusks, and proboscis, 
the head is required to be of very large dimensions, so as to afford support 
for the powerful muscles and tendons which are requisite for such a task, 
It is also needful that lightness should be combined with magnitude, and 
this double condition is very beautifully fulfilled. The skull of the Elephant, 
instead of being a mere bony shell round the brain, is enormously enlarged 
by the separation of its bony plates, the intervening space being filled with 
a vast number of honeycomb-like bony cells, their walls being hardly thicker 
than strong paper, and their hollows filled during the life of the animal with 
a kind of semi-liquid fat or oil. The brain lies in a comparatively small 
cavity within this cellular structure, and is therefore defended from the severe 
concussions which it would otherwise experience from the frequency with 
which the animal employs its head as a battering ram. 
In order to support the enormous weight which rests upon them, the legs 
are very stout, and are set perpendicularly, without that bend in the hinder 
leg which is found in most animals. There is an elongated cannon bone in 
the Elephant, so that the hind legs are without the so-called knee-joint. This 
structure, however, is of infinite use to the animal when it climbs or descends 
steep acclivities, a feat which it can perform with marvellous ease. It may 
seem strange, but it is nevertheless true, that localities which would be totally 
inaccessible to a horse are traversed by the Elephant with perfect ease, 
In descending from a height, the animal performs a very curious series of 
manceuvres. Kneeling down with its fore-feet stretched out in front, and its 
hinder legs bent backward, as is their wont, the Elephant hitches cne of its 
fore-feet upon some projection or in some crevice, and bearing firmly upon 
this support, lowers itself for a short distance. It then advances the other 
foot, secures it in like manner, and slides still farther, never losing its hold | 
