E L E 
fult, held out to them the impaled vi6Hm, writhing 
in the agonies of death. 
Indeed, the teeth of the Elephant are produftive 
of almoft all the enmity which fubfifts between that 
animal and the human race; but whether they are 
Ihed annually, as in the deer kind, is a matter of 
uncertainty. However, the natives of Africa, from 
whom we receive the greateft part of our ivory, 
aflTure us that they generally find it in their forefts; 
and that the teeth of an Elephant would by no 
means prove a fufficient recompence for their trou- 
ble and hazard in killing it. 
The teeth of thefe animals are alio very fre- 
quently met v/ith in a foflile ftate ; and, fome years 
fince, two great grinding teeth, and part of the 
tufk of an Elephant, were difcovered in a lead 
mine, in Flintlhire, at die depth of forty-two 
yards. The tufl<s of the mammouth, fo often 
found foflile in Siberia, and which are converted 
to the purpofes of ivory, are generally fuppofed to 
belong to the Elephant. However, the animal 
which produces them mull have been formerly 
much larger in that country than it is at prefent, 
as thofe tufks frequently weigh four hundred 
pounds; while fuch of them as are imported from 
Africa feldom exceed two hundred and fifty. 
The American Elephants are animals known 
only in a fofTile ftate. Several enormous fkeletons 
have lately been difcovered, at the depth of five or 
fix feet beneath the furface of the earth, on the 
banks of the Ohio, which are feven iiundred miles 
from the fea-coafb. Some of the tulles were near 
feven feet in length, one foot nine inches in cir- 
cumference at their bafes, and one foot near their 
extremities; the cavities at their bafes being nine- 
teen inches deep. Befides their fize, there are 
other eiTential differences ; the tufks of the true 
Elephant have fometimes a very flight lateral 
bend; as well as a larger twifl:, or fpiral curve, 
towards their fmaller ends. But the great and 
ipecific difference confiils in the fhape of the 
grinding-teeth ; which, in thofe newly found, were 
fafhioned like the grinders of a carnivorous animal, 
and furniflied with a double row of high and conic 
procefl!es, as if intended for mafl:icating, and not for 
grinding their food; whereas thofe of^the modern 
Elephant are flat, and ribbed tranfverfely on their 
furfaces. A third variation is confpicuous in the 
thigh-bone, which is of a very difproportionable 
thicknefs to that of the Elephant, and has befides 
fome other anatomical variations. Thefe foflile 
bones have alfo been found in Peru and the Bra- 
zils; and, when cut and polifhed by ivory- work- 
ers, appeared in every refpeft to correfpond. 
However, Dr. Hunter is of opinion, that they muft 
have belonged to an animal larger even than the 
Elephant, and differing from it in being carnivo- 
»rous : but as yet this formidable creature has eluded 
every fearch ; and if fuch an animal really exifts, 
it moft probably inhabits fome of the remote parts 
of the vafl; new continent as yet unexplored by 
Europeans. 
It is faid that the Elephant, on account of it's 
longevity, reprefents the lymbol of Eternity. On 
a medal of the Emperor Philip, Eternity is repre- 
fented by that animal, on which a little Boy is 
mounted, holding arrows in his hand : and, in the 
kingdom of Bengal, in the Eafl: Indies, the white 
Elephant is v/orfhipped as a divinity. 
ELEPHANT, CATERPILLAR. An ap- 
pellation given by fome authors to a fpecies of in- 
le^ commonly known in Ireland by the napie of 
EMB 
the Connaught worm, and fuppofed to be fatal to 
fuch animals as accidentally eat it. 
ELEPHANT, SEA. A name fometimes 
given to the hippopotamus. 
ELEPHANT, TRUNK-FISH, or ELE- 
PHANT'S NOSE. A fpecies of the acus or 
needle-fifh caught in the Eafl: Indies; fo called 
from the refemblance of it's fnout to the trunk of 
the Elephant. The lower jaw of this very Angular 
creature projedls into a long and fliarp- pointed 
fpine; the body is round and beautifully variegated 
with Ipots ; and a green line runs on each fide from 
the head to the tail. The flefli of this creature 
taftes much like that of the fmelt. 
ELK. An animal of the cervus or flag kind; 
which has been fo varioufly defcribed by the an- 
cients, and even by many of the moderns, that it 
is evident they either knew very little of it's na- 
ture, or elfe different writers have defcribed di- 
fiinft animals under the fame name, Pliny tells 
us, that the Elk refembles the horfe, but that it is 
diftinguifhed from it by the length of it's neck and 
the iargenefs of it's ears; Salinus fays, that it is 
not unlike the mule; and both thefe authors add, 
that it's upper lip is fo very large, that it cannot 
feed without moving backwards, Pliny, from re- 
port, affirms the fame of the machlis, a Scandina- 
vian animal. Some have compared tlie Elk to 
the goat, and others to the flrag ; and fome reprefent 
it as being of a duflcy yeliowifli colour: G^far, 
in his Commentaries, fays that it is variegated with 
fpots; andPaufanias informs us, that it refembles 
the flrag kind, but is like the camel with refpeft to 
the length of it's neck. 
In the Linnsan fyftem, the Elk is a fpecies of 
cervus or deer, with horns having fhort beams 
fpreading into large and broad palms; one fide of 
which is plain, the exterior one being furnifhed 
with feveral fharp fnags. It has no brow anders; 
and there is a finall excrefcence under viic .iiroat. 
This animal is found in Europe, Afia, and 
America; and, according to th, ;>:ft informed na- 
turalifts, is one and the fame v : Ln the moofe-deer. 
See Deer, Moose. 
The term Elk is alfo frtquendy applied to the 
cygnus ferus, or wild fwan See Swan, Wild. 
ELOPS. An appella .on common to the fea- 
ferpent. The body is fle ider; the head is large; 
and the fin which covers 'le gills is double, hav- 
ing thirty fpines, and beir.g armed externally with 
five bones refembling teeth. 
Elops is alfo the clafij oal name of a filh much 
efteemed among the Greeks, and conjedured ta 
be the fame with the accipenfer. 
ELVERS. The name of a fmall fpecies of 
eels caught in feveral rivers of England, particu- 
larly the Severn ; being, in reality, young conger- 
eels. They enter the rivers while they are fmall; 
and, as they precede the fhads, it is by fome ima- 
gined that they fupply them with food. About 
the month of April, when they quite fwarm, they 
are taken in a kind of fieves conflruded with hair- 
cloth, and affixed to long poles. The fifherman, 
who ftands on the margin of the flream, throws in 
his net as far as he is able; and, infbantly drawing it 
out again, finds multitudes of Elvers inclofed; and 
proceeding in this manner, during the continuance 
of the tide, frequently takes as m,any as will fiil a 
bufliel. They are efteemed very delicate food. 
EMBER GOOSE; the Colymbus Ember of 
Linnseus. A fpecies of diver which inhabits the 
feas about the Orkiiiesj but in very fevere winters 
migrates 
