160 
ELEPHANT. 
had the care of it, at length hit upon a contrivance 
for securing it. By a few words and signs, he 
gave the mother of the animal sufficient intelli- 
gence of what was wanted ; the sensible creature 
immediately seized her young one with her trunk, 
and held it firmly down, though groaning with 
agony, while the surgeon completely dressed the 
wound ; and she continued to perform this service 
every day, till the animal was perfectly recovered. 
In the Philosophical Transactions, a story is re- 
lated of an elephant having such an attachment for 
a very young child, that he was never happy but 
when it was near him. The nurse used, therefore, 
very frequently to take 'the child in its cradle, and 
place between his feet. This he became at length 
so much accustomed to, that he w ould never eat 
his food except when it was present. When the 
child slept, he used to drive off the flies with his 
proboscis ; and when it cried, lie would move the 
cradle backwards and forwards, and thus rock it 
again to sleep. 
A sentinel, belonging to the present menagerie 
at Paris, was always very careful in requesting the 
spectators not to give the elephants any thing to 
eat. This conduct particularly displeased the fe- 
male ; who beheld him with a very unfavourable 
eye, and had several times endeavoured to correct 
his interference, by sprinkling his head with water 
from her trunk. One day, when several persons 
were collected to view these animals, a by-stander 
offered the female a bit of bread. The sentinel 
perceived it ; but the moment he opened his 
mouth to give his usual admonition, she, placing 
herself immediately before him, discharged in his 
face a considerable stream of water. A general 
laugh ensued ; but the sentinel, having calmly 
wiped his face, stood a little on one side, and con- 
tinued as vigilant as before. Soon afterwards, he 
