176 



The Living Animals of the World 



J'holo In, M. Ji. F. Laud, J->i. 



FEMALE INDIAN ELEPHANT DRAGGING TEAK. 

 The teak hy^A are lluated down the liur-iiesQ rivers and dragged out bj eleiihants. 



Museum (Natural History), where it may now he seen. It weiglis 228 lbs., measures 10 feet 

 2^ inches on the outside curve, and 24^ in tjjirth at the thickest part. The tusljs of cow 

 elephants are also consideral^ly larger and heavier on the average in East Central and North 

 Central Africa than in the southern portions of the continent. 



At the present time the Asiatic elephant is found in a wild state in most of the forest- 

 covered tracts of India. Ceylon, Assam, Burma, Siam, Cochin-China, Sumatra, and Borneo ; 

 whilst the African si]ecies, althougli it has been hunted out of large tracts of country in South 

 and South-western Africa, still inhabits the greater part of the continent south of the Sahara, 

 and in many districts of Central Africa appears to be extraordinarily abundant. In the Cape 

 Colony two herds still exist imder the protection of the Government. 



As might be expected from the greater length of its legs, and consequent longer stride, 

 the African elephant is admitted by those who have had experience of both species to be a 

 more active animal than its Asiatic cousin. Speaking of the walking and running powers of 

 the Indian. ele[ihant, that great authority Mr. Sanderson says that " the only pace of the 

 elephant is the walk, cajialile of lieing increased to a fast shuffle of about fifteen miles an hour 

 for very short distances. It can neither trot, canter, nor gallop>. It does not move with the 

 legs on the same side, but nearly so. A very good runner might keep out of an elephant's 

 way on a smooth piece of turf, but on the ground in which they are generally met with any 

 attempt to escape by flight, unless su}iplemented by concealment, would be unavailing." This 

 flescription exactly coincides with my own experience of tlie African eleiihant, except that I 

 think that animals of the latter species, especially cows and young bulls, are capable of getting 

 up a irdve of at least twenty miles an hour, and keeping it up for from 100 to 200 yards, 

 when chartrinLT. 



