34 
Mr. Corse’s Observations on the 
only six inches ; but, what is extremely curious, while preg- 
nant, she grew, in twenty-one months, five inches ; and, in the 
following seventeen months, though again pregnant, she grew 
only half an inch ; at which time, she was sent from Comillah, 
as I was then preparing to leave India. 
At this time, she was about 19 years old, and had perhaps at- 
tained her full growth. Her young one was then (Nov. 1796) not 
twenty months old; yet he was four feet five inches and a half 
high, having grown eighteen inches since his birth; which is the 
greatest progressive growth, in the elephant, that I have known. 
These observations, when applied to the general growth of 
elephants, are to be taken with some allowance ; since, during 
the state of the first pregnancy, there is so great an irregularity 
in the growth of female elephants, as alone occasions consi- 
derable difficulty, even supposing the progressive growth nearly 
equal in the species. It is probable, however, that this is not 
by any means equal : for, as elephants vary greatly in size, and 
as males are generally much taller than females, we must con- 
clude they either grow faster, or are longer in attaining their 
full growth.* But it may be safely asserted, that elephants, 
like most quadrupeds, propagate their species before they have 
acquired their full growth. Many females have been known, 
when taken while pregnant, to have grown several inches higher 
before delivery ; and, as it has been stated, that the female ele- 
phant on which my observations were made, could not exceed 
16. years when she received the male, it is probable the wild 
female elephants are in heat before that period. 
• A male elephant, belonging to the Cudwah Rajah till he was above twenty years 
of age, continued to increase in height, and was supposed not to have attained his full 
size’fwhen I left Tiperah : he was then about twenty-two years old. 
