ELEPHANTS. 
35 
(2) The African Elephant {Elephas africanus) is of a somewhat 
larger size than the Indian, and has enormous ears, a more or less 
hollow back, only 3 nails on each of its hind feet, and its trunk 
ends in two equal-sized lips. The female has well-developed tusks, 
Fig. 13. 
A 
Tips of Trunks of (A) Indian and (B) African Elephants. 
thoug’h not so large as those of the male. This species inhabited 
the whole of Africa south of the Sahara, but is now driven back 
towards the centre of the continent ; its fossil remains have also 
been found in North Africa and Southern Europe. It is more 
courageous and more ill-tempered than its Indian ally, and therefore 
more difficult to tame. The ancient Carthaginians and Romans 
understood how to train it, but none of the present African 
natives have attempted its domestication. Owing to the value of 
its ivory it is continually hunted, and it is therefore much to 
be feared that the species will ere long become extinct. 
Owing to the great difficulty of preserving the thick skin of so 
large an animal under the tropical sun of Africa, only a very 
young animal can be shown, at present, in the Saloon. But 
skeletons and skulls of full-grown individuals are exhibited in the 
Osteological Saloon. 
Suborder Hyracoidea. 
Allied both to the Elephants and Rhinoceros are certain small [Case 35.] 
animals looking like short-eared Rabbits, and known as Coneys 
[Hijrax, or, as they are now sometimes called, Procavia) (Case 35), 
of which about 14 species are distributed over Africa, and extend 
northwards into Arabia and Palestine. They are distinguished from 
their ponderous allies by their small size, peculiar dentition, and 
active habits. Their feet are provided with four anterior and three 
posterior rounded hoofs, quite unlike the claws of Rodents, and 
B 2 
