918 The Osteology of the Elephant. [No. 1 55. 



fore leg is also brought down, and performs the same work a little in 

 advance of the first, which is now at liberty to move still lower — 

 when, first one and then the other hind leg is cautiously slid over the 

 side, and the hind feet in turn occupy the resting-places made, used, 

 and left by the fore ones ; and so on, the course not being direct from 

 top to bottom, but sideways, until the level be regained. This is 

 done at more than an angle of 45, while the animal has the weight 

 of a howdah, it's occupant, his attendant and sporting apparatus, 

 adding to the difficulty of the performance ; and that in a much less 

 space of time than would readily be imagined. 



Plate II. Fig. 2. Represents the reverse of fig 1., viz., an elephant 

 ascending a similarly steep bank by the same process, except the 

 kneeling down at the commencement. 



I had some idea of adding a third drawing, that of a complete figure 

 of the elephant, undefaeed by lines, dots, figures, or letters ; but as 

 I purpose sending you a series of Tiger-hunting Scenes, you and your 

 subscribers (should my attempts be thought worthy of being submit- 

 ted to the engraver or lithographer) will have specimens enow of the 

 Elephas Indicus ere the Review be much older. 



Dacca, Dec, 1844. J. G. F. 



P. S. — Since writing the above, I have received a Zoological work, 

 which fully bears me out in the strictures with which I commenced 

 this paper. It is lettered " Naturalist's Library. Mammalia, Vol. 

 V., Elephants, &c." Many of the volumes of this work are well got 

 up, and contain tolerably faithful illustrations of the letter-press : but 

 here, again, the elephant meets with his usual misrepresentation: 

 Imprimis, — The title-page presents us with a vignette purporting to 

 be " The elephant of India, caparisoned," and behold a ■ monstrum 

 horrendum, informe ingens,' with hocks of course whose forebears, 

 after their kind, never saw the inside of the Ark, I'm very certain. 

 But making some allowance for a vignette, turn we to the body of 

 the book, and next find Plate II., " Elephant of India," — differing 

 from the vignette 'tis true, but not a whit nearer to nature; — hocks 

 again, line of the belly horizontal, more mounds on his back than the 

 Bactrian camel's, and length enough from proboscis to tail for an 

 elephant and three-quarters. Plate III. " Elephant of India, capa- 

 risoned for hunting." Very faulty, but a visible improvement on 



