PREGNANCY. 
95 
together with the fullness of the mammary glands and the presence of 
milk, should afford sufificient indications of approaching parturition. 
The dams after calving should be given a good rest and a 
plentiful allowance of good nourishing fodder. 
The young suckle with their mouths and not with the trunk. 
The duration of pregnancy may be said to vary between 
eighteen and twenty-two months. Sanderson gives it at eighteen 
months for a female calf and twenty-two for a male. Burmans 
and Karens state that it may extend to two and a half years. 
Mr. Petley kindly gave me notes on two cases : — 
(^) A female was covered during the first fortnight of April 
1896, and a male calf was born on the 6th February 
1898 — 22 months. 
(3) Mr. D. S. Pritchard witnessed the tusker Yegyan " 
cover the female elephant Bohgadow " near the 
Yatsauk bazaar during the month of February 1896 ; 
she dropped a calf (female) during December 1897 ; 
Mr. Pritchard saw the calf an hour after birth — 22 
months. 
Steel quoting from the Asian " of the 5th June 1883 gives tw.o 
cases, the duration of pregnancy being 583 and 680 days respectively. 
In the "Indian Forester" for April 1899, Vol. XXV, page 158, 
signed " C. B. S.", a case is recorded. A female turned out with 
others to graze was covered in May 1897. The act w^as observed 
every evening for about a week, from about the i8th to the 25th 
May. Neither of the animals showed signs of sexual excitement 
previously though the male paid assiduous court to the female for a 
few days before coition was permitted. They were both working 
regularly dragging timber, and gave no trouble. A female calf was 
born on the 3rd November 1898. The day the youngster was 
born, the mother had carried a light load for a short march. The 
calf was so weak that it had to hold on to a bamboo with its mouth 
to keep itself upright. After a day it could stand and suckle. 
Period of gestation — a little over i 7 calendar months. 
In exceptional cases parturition may take place in 1 7 months, 
vide case instanced by C. B. S.", and as late as 24 months as in 
case recorded by Mr. Slade. 
In two other instances brought to my notice the periods were 
19 and 2i-| months respectively; in the former case the calf was a 
female, in the latter a male. 
The greater number of calves are dropped during the last quarter 
of the year, though several are produced at other seasons. The 
late Mr. Bruce, of the Forest Department, informed me that he had 
knowledge of at least seven cases where calves were all dropped 
