PURCHASE. 
9 
of the more prominent signs of health. These are constant motion, 
such as swinging of the trunk and tail, flapping the ears, swaying 
the body or the head from side to side, rubbing one leg against the 
opposite one, or swinging it. The skin is soft, almost black in 
colour, and the bristles covering the body are firm to the touch. 
The mucous membrane of the tongue and mouth is of a rich pink 
colour ; the eyes clear and bright. The light-coloured spots and 
blotches on the head and trunk are pinkish in colour. A moist 
secretion exudes around and above the nails, and is easily observed 
by throwing some dust on the parts ; this must not, however, 
be confounded with an offensive discharge from beneath the 
nails, a wet rot, which runs high up, the affected parts being 
hot and painful. The appetite is good, and the animal sleeps 
for a few hours every night, and immediately on waking commences 
to feed. 
The signs of indisposition are that the animal is listless, there 
is general languor, absence of the incessant motion so characteristic 
in health. The skin appears greyish in colour, hangs loosely, and is 
dry and sometimes scaly ; the spots and blotches also assume this pale 
colour. The trunk presents a shrivelled appearance. The colour of 
the membrane of the mouth and that of the tongue changes to a 
muddy colour or is deep red, with or without blotches on the palate. 
The lower flap of the ear is very often cold to the touch, the 
eyes are dull, appear retracted, and there is frequently an abnormal 
flow of water from the eyes. The animal may be out of condition 
and feverish, the appetite small or even wanting ; proper rest is not 
taken, and he may lie down and get up several times (generally a 
bad sign). If the excretions be examined, the urine may be noticed 
to be small in quantity and high coloured, and the dung hard and 
coated w^ith mucus, or diarrhoea may be present. 
Elephants differ as widely in their points as do horses and other 
animals. The chief points of a good elephant are as follows (see 
Plates I, II, III, IV and X), namely, medium height, a good big 
barrel, skin soft and wrinkled (described by Burmans as crocodile 
skin), the head massive, full cheeks and a broad forehead ; the ears 
large, eyes bright and kindly, and free from opacity or excessive 
flow^ of tears ; the trunk of good length, broad at the root, and 
blotched in front with pinkish coloured spots. The neck short, thick, 
and full ; chest broad ; the back straight and broad, broad loins ; 
short forelegs, convex in front (described by Burmans as ^go5.o^6, • 
I.e., set up like a lion or chinthay^ qcc^, the attitude given to the 
leogryphs in front of pagodas). The hind-quarters full, sloping 
well down and supported by thick short limbs. The pads of the 
feet hard, nails smooth and polished, action free, paces fast and easy ; 
