Chap. 1L] 



THE ELEPHANT. 



83 



most attached flourishes in such abundance that it is 

 obtained without an effort. In the quiet solitudes of 

 Ceylon, elephants may constantly be seen browsing 

 peacefully in the immediate vicinity of other animals, 

 and in close contact with them. I have seen groups of 

 deer and wild buffaloes reclining in the sandy bed of a 

 river in the dry season, and elephants plucking the 

 branches close beside them. They show no impatience 

 in the company of the elk, the bear, and the wild hog ; 

 and on the other hand, I have never discovered an 

 instance in which these animals have evinced any 

 apprehension of elephants. The elephant's natural 

 timidity, however, is such that it becomes alarmed on 

 the appearance in the jungle of any animal with which 

 it is not familiar. It is said to be afraid of the horse ; 

 but from my own experience, I should say it is the horse 

 that is alarmed at the aspect of the elephant. In the 

 same way, from some unaccountable impulse, the horse 

 has an antipathy to the camel, and evinces extreme 

 impatience, both of the sight and the smell of that animal. 1 

 When enraged, an elephant will not hesitate to charge 

 a rider on horseback ; but it is against the man, not 

 against the horse, that his fury is directed; and no 

 instance has been ever known of his wantonly assail- 

 ing a horse. A horse, belonging to the late Major 



1 This peculiarity was noticed by it is necessary to train and accustom 



the ancients, and is recorded by to their presence in order to avoid 



Herodotus: " kol^Xov 'Uttos </>o£e- accidents. Mr. Beoderip mentions, 



€tcu, koI ovk aVe'xerai ovre tV lB4r}v that, "when the precaution of such 



avTrjs opldov oiire t))v dd/x^jv oo-rppai- training has not been adopted, the 



vdfxevos " (Herod, ch. 80), Camels sudden and dangerous terror with 



have long been bred by the Grand which a horse is seized in coming 



Duke of Tuscany, at his establish- unexpectedly upon one of them is 



ment near Pisa, and even there excessive." — Note-book of a Natu- 



the same instinctive dislike to them ralist, ch. iv. p. 113. 

 is manifested by the horse, which 



G 2 



