Quadrupeds, 5663 



his coolness, when required, was exemplified in the cure of an elephant at Exeter 

 Change. Observing an excrescence on the trunk, not far from the eye, he pointed it 

 out to Mr. Crosse, telling him that, if allowed to increase, it would probably prove 

 fatal. Mr. Crosse replied that he so considered it; but how could it be prevented? 

 Dr. Leach said that if bound tight round near the roots circulation would be stopped, 

 and the excrescence would die and fall out. " Yes," said Mr. Crosse ; but who is to 

 tie it? — he might crush the man to pieces." "I will venture it," said Dr. Leach; 

 "for, though it will give him pain, T think he may be made to understand that it is 

 for his good to get rid of a sore and troublesome excrescence ; so get me some strong 

 silk thread, and let his keeper go in with me, and keep him soothed and occupy his 

 attention.'' Accordingly, having obtained the thread, he mounted up, he and the 

 keeper both speaking to the elephant, and induced him to submit to the operation. 

 When it was bound round many times and securely tied, he descended to the floor of 

 the menagerie, and observed the animal casting a knowing look upon him. On going 

 to see him next day, he learned that after he was gone the elephant had turned up the 

 finger of his trunk, and felt the binding all round till he found the knot, which he had 

 either untied or broken, and then unwound the silk and threw it down. Dr. Leach 

 therefore talked to him in a reasoning manner, and, with the keeper's aid, induced him 

 to submit to the operation a second time ; but Dr. Leach, observing the same knowing 

 look, talked to him more upon the subject, and fastened the silk, as he thought, 

 securely. However, he was no sooner gone than the animal began to try the fasten- 

 ing, and persevered until he had got it off again. On finding this, the next day Dr. 

 Leach brought some annealed brass wire, with which he again bound the excres- 

 cence, drawing the ends in under the binding so that they could not be got at. The 

 substantial texture of the wire and its polished surface now baffled the attempts of the 

 elephant, who at last gave it up, and submitted to the temporary annoyance, manifest- 

 ing no displeasure at Dr. Leach on his next visit. The result was, as Dr. Leach had 

 foretold, that the excrescence worked out in course of time; and the sore was not diffi- 

 cult to heal. Thus the elephant was saved ; and Mr. Crosse insisted on Dr. Leach 

 receiving about twenty (I think) £5 notes for the venturous cure.— J. J". Heading; 

 Plymouth, May 20, 1857. 



Beautiful Variety of the Mole. — A few weeks back T was fortunate enough to ob- 

 tain the skin of a beautiful variety of the mole. It was caught near here ; and the 

 person by whom it was taken states that it is the only one of the kind he has ever met 

 with. When alive it must have been a very beautiful object. — J. Pristo ; Alverstone, 

 Whippingham, Isle of Wight, April 17, 1857. 



Singular Familiarity of a Squirrel. — Whilst walking, in the month of June last 

 year, in the Royal Gardens of Charlottenburg, near Berlin, I remarked a squirrel 

 (Sciurus vulgaris) descend from one of the noble avenue of trees which border the lake 

 on to the public footpath, undeterred by the presence of a party of citizens who were 

 at the moment promenading the place, and enjoying the declining rays of the sun in 

 that lovely spot. On approaching, however, I found that the little animal was dis- 

 posed to carry his confidence still further. He sportively ran about the path among 

 the people; and when pursued by some children, instead of rapidly ascending his tree, 

 he contented himself with dodging them round the base of its trunk, and then was off 

 again, cutting capers on the pathway, and now and then stopping to nibble a fungus 

 which grew upon the edge of the grass. The children could scarce contain them- 

 selves for delight at his familiarity ; and after thus noticing him for several miuutes 



