212 Mr. Corse’s Observations on the 
was sixteen months old ; which proves that there is considerable 
variety in the time at which this happens. 
The permanent tusks of the female are very small, in com- 
parison with those of the male, and do not take their rise so 
deep in the jaw ; but they use them as weapons of offence, in 
the same manner as the male named mooknah, that is, by put- 
ting their head above another elephant, and pressing their tusks 
down into the animal. 
These tusks are never shed, and sometimes grow to a very 
large size in the male. The largest I have known in Bengal, 
did not exceed 72 pounds, avoirdupois : at Tiperah, they seldom 
exceed 50 pounds ; but both these weights are very inferior to 
that of the tusks brought from other places to the India House, 
where I have seen some near 150 pounds each. From what part 
of Asia they came, I could not learn, but suspect they were 
imported from Pegu to Calcutta, and thence to London. 
The African elephant is said to be smaller than the Asiatic; 
yet I am credibly informed, by the ivory-dealers in London, 
that the largest tusks generally come from Africa, and are of a 
better texture, and less liable to turn yellow, than the Indian 
ivory, after being manufactured. This probably is owing to 
the tusks having lain longer in Africa, before they were im- 
ported, than those brought from Asia. In the latter country, 
most of the tusks exported are taken from elephants imme- 
diately after their death ; whereas, the Africans find many teeth 
in the desert places which have been frequented by this animal. 
The intense heat of a vertical sun will undoubtedly render the 
ivory firmer and harder, if the tusks happen to lie on the scorch- 
ing sand, or in any other dry situation. 
The increase of the tusk arises from circular layers of ivory,. 
