m 
MAMMALIA. 
[Chap. HI. 
objects and incidents which, imperfectly discerned, excite 
suspicions for its safety. 1 In 1 841 an officer 2 was chased 
by an elephant that he had slightly wounded. Seizing 
him near the dry bed of a river, the animal had its fore- 
foot already raised to crush him ; but its forehead being 
caught at the instant by the tendrils of a climbing plant 
which had suspended itself from the branches above, it 
suddenly turned and fled ; leaving him badly hurt, but 
with no limb broken. I have heard similar instances, 
equally well attested, of this peculiarity in the ele- 
phant. 
On the other hand, the power of smell is so remark- 
able as almost to compensate for the deficiency of sight. 
A herd is not only apprised of the approach of dan- 
ger by this means, but when scattered in the forest, and 
dispersed out of range of sight, they are enabled by it 
to reassemble with rapidity and adopt precautions for 
their common safety. The same necessity is met by a 
delicate sense of hearing, and the use of a variety of 
noises or calls, by means ol which elephants succeed in 
communicating with each other upon all emergencies. 
" The sounds which they utter have been described by 
the African hunters as of. three kinds : the first, which is 
very shrill, produced by blowing through the trunk, is 
indicative of pleasure ; the second, produced by the 
mouth, is expressive of want ; and the third, proceeding 
from the throat, is a terrific roar of anger or reveDge." 3 
These words convey but an imperfect idea of the variety 
of noises made by the elephant in Ceylon; and the 
shrill cry produced by blowing through his trunk, so far 
1 Menageries, #c, " The Ele- found in the Ceylon Miscellany for 
phant,"_p. 27. 1842, vol. i. p. 221. 
s 2 Major Rogers. An account of 8 Menageries, §c., " The Ele- 
ihis singular adventure will be phant," ch. iii. p. 68. 
