184 



that's it ; 



through it, 7. When the elephant 

 lies down, it curls its trunk upon 



528. 



the ground, 8. The feet and legs, 

 though apparently stiff and awk- 

 ward, are not so in reality. The 

 fore-foot can be used with con- 



529. 



siderable adroitness as a kind of 

 hand, in connection with the 

 trunk. The hind legs of the 



530. ( 



elephant bend forward, 9, just as 

 our knees do, and not backward, 

 as in many quadrupeds. This 



provision has doubtless been made 

 on account of the great weight of 

 the animaPs body, which he is 

 thus enabled to lower gradually ; 

 otherwise it would be equally 

 difficult for him to lie to take rest / 

 or to rise from the ground. 



Some extraordinary narratives are told of the 

 sagacity of the elephant : — A painter was desi- 

 rous of drawing the elephant, which was kept in 

 the menagerie at Versailles, in an uncommon 

 attitude, that of holding his trunk raised up in 

 the air, with his mouth open. The painter's 

 boy, in order to keep the animal in this posture, 

 threw fruit into his mouth ; but as he had fre- 

 quently deceived him, and made him a pretence 

 only of throwing the fruit, the elephant grew 

 angry, and as if he had known the painter's in- 

 tention of making his picture was the cause of 

 the affront that was offered him, instead of re- 

 venging himself on the lad, he turned his resent- 

 ment on the master, and taking a quantity of 

 water in his trunk, threw it on the paper which 

 the artist was drawing on, and spoiled it. 



Elephants in India were once employed in the 

 launching of ships. One was directed to force a 

 very large vessel into the water, but it proved 

 superior to its strength. In a sarcastic tone of 

 voice, his master desired the keeper to take 

 away the lazy beast, and bring another in his 

 stead ; the distressed animal instantly increased 

 his efforts, in doing which he fractured his skull. 



The rhinoceros, 10, is the most 

 singular and characteristic of the 

 pachydermatous animals. It de- 

 rives its name from a Greek term 

 applicable to the " horn on the 

 nose.'' Some species have a 

 single, others a double horn, or 

 pair of horns, 11. The termina- 

 tion of the feet are very different 

 from those of the elephant. Each 

 has three toes, 13, the middle one 

 being the largest, the side ones 

 being of equal size, and all three 

 are furnished with short, flat, and 

 blunt hoofs ; the ears are of 

 moderate size, erect, and pointed, 

 12. 



It is understood that there are 

 six living species of rhinoceri, 

 and these are found in Africa, 

 India, Java, and Sumatra. They 

 are herbivorous, and fond of 



