78 



MAMMALIA. 



[Chap. II. 



have forced the animals to retire to the low country, 

 where again they have been followed by large parties of 

 European sportsmen ; and the Singhalese themselves, be- 

 ing more freely provided with arms than in former times, 

 have assisted in swelling the annual slaughter. 1 



Had the motive that incites to the destruction of the 

 elephant in Africa and India prevailed in Ceylon, that m 9 

 had the elephants there been provided with tusks, they 

 would long since have been annihilated for the sake of 

 their ivory. 2 But it is a curious fact that, whilst in 

 Africa and India both sexes have tusks 3 ^ with some 

 slight disproportion in the size of those of the females ; 

 not one elephant in a hundred is found with tusks in 

 Ceylon, and the few that possess them are exclusively 

 males. Nearly all, however, have those stunted pro- 

 cesses called tushes, about ten or twelve inches in 

 length and one or two in diameter. These I have ob- 

 served them to use in loosening earth, stripping off bark, 

 and snapping asunder small branches and climbing 



1 The number of elephants has its way to China and to other 

 been similarly reduced throughout places, but because the chiefs and 

 the south of India. Buddhist priests have a passion for 



2 The annual importation of collecting tusks, and the finest and 

 ivory into Great Britain alone, for largest are to be found ornament- 

 the last few years, has been about ing their temples and private 

 one million pounds ; which, taking dwellings. The Chinese profess 

 the average weight of a tusk at that for their exquisite carvings the 

 sixty pounds, would require the ivory of Ceylon excels all other, 

 slaughter of 8,333 male elephants. both in density of texture and in 



But of this quantity the impor- delicacy of tint ; but in the Eu- 



tation from Ceylon has generally ropean market, the ivory of Africa, 



averaged only five or six hundred from its more distinct graining 



weight ; which, making allowance and other causes, obtains a higher 



for the lightness of the tusks, would price. 



not involve the destruction of more 3 A writer in the India Sporting 



than seven or eight in each year. Beview for October 1857 says, "In 



At the same time, this does not Malabar a tuskless male elephant 



fairly represent the annual number is rare ; I have seen but two." — p. 



of tuskers shot in Ceylon, not only 157. 

 because a portion of the ivory finds 



