ELEPHANTS 
write to me informing me of the death of any of their 
large animals, most of which I purchased. I also received 
all, or nearly all, the animals that died in the Kegent’s Park 
and in the Surrey Zoological Gardens. I thus became 
acquainted with the proprietors of travelling menageries, 
and at the same time I obtained a knowledge of all the 
elephants in travelling menageries in England and many 
on the continent, as well as those in the Zoological Gardens 
in various parts of Europe. 
My fondness for elephants led me to study them and 
pay particular attention to their habits and treatment in 
captivity. I found that the males when approaching 
maturity, or when about twenty years of age, required very 
careful management, for about this period, if well fed and 
in good condition, they become restless and somewhat 
uncertain in temper, and in many instances extremely 
dangerous to be approached. This condition generally 
would last four or five weeks, and is well known to elephant- 
keepers by the term must.” I heard of the deaths of 
many persons Avho had been killed from time to time by 
elephants while in this state. 
The first elephant that ever came immediately under 
my charge was the celebrated “ Jumbo.” 
The African elephant Jumbo ” was received in exchange 
for other animals on June 26, 1865. 
At that date he was about 4 ft. high and he was in a filthy 
and miserable condition. I handed him over to Matthew 
Scott, who I thought was the most likely man to attend 
to my instructions because he had no j)revious experience 
in the treatment and management of elephants. The first 
thing was to endeavour to remove the accumulated filth 
and dirt from his skin. This was a task requiring a con- 
siderable amount of labour and patience, and was not to be 
done in the space of a moment. The poor beast’s feet for 
45 
