32 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
of the African is far in excess of the Asiatic. Nine 
feet at the highest portion of the back is a good 
height for an Indian male, and eight feet for the 
female, although occasionally they are considerably 
larger. There are hardly any elephants that mea¬ 
sure ten feet in a direct perpendicular, although the 
mahouts pretend to fictitious heights by measuring 
with a tape or cord from the spine, including the 
curve of the body. 
As Jumbo was proved to have attained the 
height of eleven feet although in captivity from 
infancy, it may be easily imagined that in a wild 
state the African elephant will attain twelve feet, or 
even more. I have myself seen many animals that 
would have exceeded this, although it would be 
impossible to estimate their height with accuracy. 
The shape of the African variety is very peculiar, 
and differs in a remarkable manner from the Asiatic. 
The highest point is the shoulder, and the back is 
hollow; in the Indian the back is convex, and the 
shoulder is considerably lower. The head of the 
African is quite unlike that of the Indian ; and the 
ears, which in the former are enormous, completely 
cover the shoulder when thrown back. The best 
direction for a vital shot at an African elephant is at 
the extremity of the ear when flapped against the 
side. A bullet thus placed will pass through the 
centre of the lungs. The Indian elephant has many 
more laminae in the teeth than the African, constitut¬ 
ing a larger grinding surface, as the food is different. 
The African feeds upon foliage and the succulent 
