47 
Natural History of the Elephant. 
female, being no longer in heat, was so uncivil as to give the 
male a kick in the face, when he was using what she then 
thought improper liberties ; nor did she afterwards permit him 
to cover her, though, when standing together, they mutually 
indulged in a few caresses. 
During the time they were kept together, the male never 
showed signs of his passions being excited, by any exildation 
from the ducts of the glands near his temples ; which is gene- 
rally considered as the sign of a male elephant being peculiarly 
ready for the female. This, however, I am inclined to believe is 
a vulgar error ; as not one of the male elephants I have seen 
cover, in a domestic state, nor any of the males which were caught 
singly, or rather entrapped, by their desire to have connexion with 
the tame females, had, at those times, the smallest appearance 
of such an exudation. Had this happened, in any one instance, 
during my residence in Tiperah, I think I must have known it; 
for, when this exudation takes place, the elephant has a dull heavy 
look, and it is dangerous for strangers to go near him. I have seen 
elephants in this situation, after they had been many years caught; 
but, though they were then said to have their passions excited, 
I have never known one to cover during the continuance of this 
exudation : nor have elephants, so far as I have been able to 
observe, any particular seasons of love, like horses and cattle. 
Of five instances of elephants covered at Tiperah, one received 
the male in February, another in April, a third in June, a fourth 
in September, and the fifth in October. Besides these, an at- 
tempt was made by a tame male, to cover, in the month of 
January, a wild female, then in heat.* When the female is in 
* Many pregnant females are taken every year at Tiperah, and produce 'young 
ones in the different months : this clearly shows, that there are no particular seasons 
during which the females are in heat. 
