GREAT ELEPHANT. 213 
about the avodcIs of Asia and Africa in a state of 
majestic mildness. Elephants are naturally gre- 
garious. Large troops assemble together, and 
live in a kind of society. They feed only on ve- 
getables^ and^ are fond of the young shoots of 
trees. The Elephant is generally of a deep ash- 
coloured brown, or nearly blackish ; but in some 
parts of India it is said to be found, though very 
rarely;, of a white colour. In the young animals 
the tusks are not visible : in the more advanced 
state of growth they are extremely conspicuous; 
and in the full-gro^m animal they advance se- 
veral feet from the mouths of their sockets: it 
is but rarely that the tusks are seen in the fe- 
males ; and^ when they appear, they are but small, 
and their direction is rather downwards than up- 
wards : this is also the case in some specimens of 
the male Elephant ; so that there appears to be 
fsome variation in this respect in different indi- 
viduals. Tusks have sometimes been seen up- 
wards of ten feet long ; particularly from the Mo- 
sambique and Cochinchina. 
The teeth which are imported into Europe are 
generally from Africa, where they are frequently 
found in the woods. Instances have sometimes 
occurred, in which, on sawing a tooth, a brass 
bullet has been found completely imbeded in the 
central part of the tooth ; the ivory having gra- 
dually grown over it, and enclosed it. 
The Elephant is undoubtedly the largest of all 
terrestrial animals, arriving at the height of 
twelve feet; though the more general height 
