294 
THE ELEPHANT. 
It is the generally received belief, I apprehend, 
that the elephant, after it has slaked its thirst, is 
in the habit of spouting large quantities of water 
from its trunk over its body for the purpose of 
cooling it. If my eyes have not deceived me, I 
myself, indeed, have seen the animal perform the 
operation. My friend Green, nevertheless, would 
seem to doubt such being the case; he says : 
cc It is natural enough to believe that the African 
elephant should repair to the pool for the purpose 
of taking a bath, because, when in a domesticated 
state, his Indian congener is in the habit of doing 
so. Still, although I have had so many oppor¬ 
tunities of observing these animals at water, during, 
I may say, eleven years wanderings in the wilder¬ 
ness, I never witnessed these ablutions. I 
have frequently seen them repair to large waters 
after drinking at smaller holes, and supposed it 
was for the purpose in question, but noticed that 
they only drank, and made no attempt to throw 
water over their bodies. I am well aware they will 
coat themselves over with mire, as a muddy jacket 
protects them from the burning rays of a tropical 
sun, and this expedient is more particularly ob¬ 
servable in the 5 Tsetse 5 country, where it serves, 
no doubt, to protect them, in degree at least, from 
the bite of that poisonous insect.” 
In connection with the subject in question, I may 
be permitted to add some remarks of Kolbein, 
which, however quaint, may nevertheless contain 
some truth. 
€S When elephants drink,” he writes, u they first 
