ELE 
water bath, elemi affords about ^ of essen- 
tial oil, in which all the fragrance of the 
substance resides, the residue is inodorous 
and brittle. It is used in medicine as a 
liniment, and is employed in the arts as an 
ingredient in some varnishes. 
ELEPHANT. See Elephas. 
ELEPHANTOPUS, in botany, ele- 
phanfis foot, a genus of the Syngenesia Po- 
lygainia Segregata class and order. Natu- 
ral order of Compositae Capitatae. Corym- 
bifevae, Jussieu. Essential character ; calyx 
four-flowered ; corolla tubular, hermaphro- 
dite ; receptacle naked j down bristle-form. 
There are four species. 
The stems of these plants are woody ; 
involucres three-leaved, containing three 
calyxes, sometimes large, boat-shaped, in 
very loose corymbs, and on long pedicles; 
frequently smaller in the shape of bractes 
and axillary, sessile and in spikes. 
ELEPHAS, the elephant, in natural his- 
tory, a genus of Mammalia of the order 
Bnita. Generic character: no fore-teeth 
in either jaw ; tusks of the upper jaw elon- 
gated, none in the lower ; proboscis very 
long and prehensile ; body with few hairs. 
This animal is not to be met with in its 
natural state throughout Europe or Ame- 
rica, and is to be found in its greatest per- 
fection of size and sti-ength between the 
river Senegal and the Cape of Good Hope 
in Africa. Its height is, generally, from 
twelve to fifteen feet. Its ears are so large, 
that from the shoulder of a middle-sized 
man they will extend to the ground. In a 
state of tranquillity these are pendulous, 
but during the agitation of passion they 
are erected, and pointed fonvards with ex- 
treme intenseness. Its legs resemble massy 
pillars, above five feet in height, and some- 
times sixteen inches in diameter. The most 
curious characteristic of the elephant is its 
proboscis, which is an instrument of feel- 
ing and of motion, and which it can con- 
tract or lengthen at pleasure, and apply 
with extreme flexibility and promptitude 
in every possible direction. With this most 
singular assistance, it grasps every object 
with both the feeling and tenacity of tlie 
human fingers. It thus picks up herbs and 
roots from tlie ground, unties the knots of 
cords, opens gates, and raises, without he- 
sitation and difficulty, from the ground, the 
smallest coins. The nostrils are situated 
at the end of this instrument, which is the 
vehicle of its food and the weapon of its 
defence; and, in a full grown animal, is 
ELE 
generally of the length of eight feet, anti 
about five feet in diameter at the base. In 
the south of Africa, near the territory of 
the Cape, elephants are seen occasionally in 
herds even of several hundreds, and the set- 
tlers in the Cape territory are often engaged 
in the diversion, or rather, indeed, the pro- 
fitable occupation of shooting them, in 
which practice 1ms rendered them particu- 
larly skilful. It is an occupation, however, 
of no little adventure and peril, and the 
rnost perfect caution must be used to ad- 
vance near enough to take the fatal aim 
unperceived, as, if the elephant observes 
his enemy, he will rush on him, not impro- 
bably, to his destruction. The weight of the 
tusks of a full grown elephant is about a 
hundred and fifty Dutch pounds, and they 
are sold for at least as many guilders ; so 
that the temptation to this exercise is not 
only great to bold spirits, animated by the 
love of danger, but to mercenary ones, 
wdio can be stimulated to exertion merely by 
the love of gain. 
The food of elephants consists of leaves, 
herbs, roots, the tender branches of trees, 
especially the plantain tree, and also of 
grains and fruits. A single one will eat in 
the course of twenty-four hours a hundred 
and fifty pounds of grass ; and the quantity 
destroyed or spoilt by their trampling must 
be considered as far greater. As they act in 
concert both for forage and protection, they 
frequently break through the strong fences 
erected to keep them out, both by the In- 
dians and the Negroes, laying waste, in 
one night, the most blooming pastures, 
overturning numerous habitations, blasting 
the hopes of harvest, defying the most 
hideous noises of the people to alarm them 
off, and disregarding the immense fires 
which are kindled for the same purpose. 
The usual motion of the elephant is not 
more rapid than the walk of a horse ; but 
when urged by fear or anger his celerity is 
little inferior to a gallop, and he advances 
in a straight direction with this speed for a 
considerable time, without difficulty. In 
turning himself, however, he labours ex- 
tremely, when confined within a small com- 
pass, and where it is practicable he always 
describes a circle of no small extent to ac- 
complish it. In narrow and crooked passes 
the negroes avail themselves of this great 
disadvantage, and attack him with corre- 
sponding success. 
Of alt the animals applied by man to 
promote his ostentation or advantage, none 
