IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 127 



(163) THE INDIAN ELEPHANT. 



(ELEPHAS INDICUS— F. Cuvier.) 



The elephant is too well-known an animal all over India to require 

 much description; but individual specimens vary from good to bad, 

 and some experience is necessary to distinguish them. The following 

 notes may be found useful by those who have not access to larger 

 works : — 



" Elephants are divided into three classes* : — 

 " Koomeriah or thorough-bred. 

 " Dwasala or half-bred. 

 " Mirga or third-rate. 



" The parts of a koomeriah are — 



"Barrel deep and of great girth; legs short (especially the hind ones) and 

 colossal ; the front pair convex on the front side, from the development of muscle ; 

 back straight and flat, but sloping from shoulder to tail, as a standing elephant 

 must be high in front ; head and chest massive ; neck thick and short ; trunk 

 broad at the base and heavy throughout ; hump between the eyes prominent ; 

 cheeks full ; eyes full, bright and kindly ; hind quarters square and plump; the 

 skin rumpled, inclining to fold at the root of the tail, and soft ; tail long and 

 well feathered. 



"If the face, base of trunk and ears be blotched with cream-coloured 

 markings, the animal's value is enhanced. The dwasala class comprises all those 

 below this standard, not descending so low as the third class. 



" The parts of a mirga are — 



" Legginess. lankiness and weediness ; arched sharp ridged back, difficult to 

 load and liable to galling; trunk thin, flabby and pendulous ; neck long and 

 lean ; falling off behind ; hide thin ; head small ; eye piggish and restless ; and 

 altogether unthrifty, which no feeding improves." 



Sab. — The Terai regions of the Himalayas, Assam, Cachar, 

 Burmah and Siam, extending southwards to the Malayan peninsula; 

 elephants are also found in Southern and Central India, and were not 

 uncommon some thirty years ago in the Sonthal Pergunnahs. 



Length of life in captivity. 



In proportion to its costliness it is not an attractive animal, 

 especially to the Indian public, and is therefore not always exhibited 

 in the garden ; one or two young animals are, however, generally on 

 view during the cold weather awaiting transmission to some Zoological 

 Society in Europe, or Australia. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — No shed is necessary for an adult or adolescent animal ; 

 it may be picketed in the midst of a grove, or under the shade of a 

 large tree ; a masonry platform about a foot high, and sloping on one 

 side should be provided with posts in front and behind to which the 

 animal should be secured. For young animals, such as are generally 

 acquired, a shed of some sort is necessary, especially during the cold 

 winter nights, and to shelter them from continuous heavy rains 



* Notes by Captain H. Wilberforce Clarke, r.e., on elephants. 



