5 66 3ft* flj/fcr? 0 / ANIMAL S, 
of the back, and it’s body is withal fo enormoufly balky, that the belly reaches nearer 
the ground than could be eafily conceived of that of a creature of fuch height • the 
head is large, and of a kind of ova ted figure, large and broad at the temples’ and 
imaller to the mouth : the extremity is continued to a great length, in form of a' pro- 
bofcis or trunk, which it ufes, in the place of a hand, to reach it’s food to it’s mouth ; 
and, on other occafions, to lave the trouble of much motion in it’s unwieldy body * 
from the Tides of the upper jaw there grow two teeth of fo enormous a length and 
fize, that, to thofe who have not feen the animal, it appears fcarce to be conceived 
that any creature can carry them ; thefe are what furnifhes us with ivory, and we fee 
them of between three and four hundred pounds weight the pair : the mouth is fmall 
in proportion to the bignefs of the creature; but, befides thefe enormous teeth which 
hang out of it, there are in each jaw four grinders confined and hid within it, which 
are of a fcarce lefs furprizing magnitude and kru&ure; they are compofed, ask were, 
each of many other fmaller teeth joined together, and they are oblong, high, flatted,' 
and level at the top, excepting for fome tranfverfe, undulated ridges, by means of 
which they grind their food. 
The eyes are very fmall, in proportion to the bulk of the head: the ears are large 
and membranaceous ; the legs are of an amazing thicknefs, and the feet are very 
broad; they are not covered each with a Angle hoof, in the manner of the bafe, but 
is divided into toes; thefe, however, do not kand feparate, as in the generality of qua¬ 
drupeds, but adhere one to the other, and are all covered by the fame common fkin, 
only the extremities of them appear at the verge of the foot, and they are there armed 
with broad and obtufe claws or nails: the tail is fmall, fhort, and inconfiderable. 
The whole body is covered with an extreamly thick and krong fkin, of a kind of 
moufe colour, with an admixture of tawny; it is not naked, as fome have afferted, 
but has a few long and very rigid hairs growing at dikances on it: it is all over cove¬ 
red alfo. with a kind of tubercles and excrefcences refembling warts, which are fplit 
deeply in feveral parts, and in different directions, down from the furface; thefe are 
of a fomewhat darker colour than the rek of the fkin, and, when they are cut, have 
a great refemblance of whale-bone : thefe tubercles, though divided and cracked in 
this manner, adhere, in a very firm degree, to the fkin, fo that it is impollible to 
tear off either a whole one, or even but a part of one, without feparatine a portion 
of the fkin with it. r t 
The probofcis or trunk of the elephant is, properly fpeaking, nothing but the nofe 
continued to a greater length; the fubkance of it is firm, but flefhy, and it is com¬ 
pofed of three feries or orders of fibres: the creature has, among the variety of mo¬ 
tions which it can give, this Angular organ or power of retrading or protruding it for¬ 
ward with great violence ; and the difference of it’s length, when thus contraded or 
extended, is not lefs than from one foot to five, or more. The afpera arteria or wind¬ 
pipe is large, and has no epiglottis to defend it from the entrance of any thing; it is 
quite dikind from the mfophagus, fo that there is no danger of any thing getting 
down it in the creature’s fwallowing it’s food, or drink; but it would be very 
eafy for any little animal, that made it’s way in at the aperture of the trunk, to creep 
down into the lungs; and, to defend itfelf againk this, it always fleeps with it’s trunk, 
applied clofe to the ground at the extremity, fo that nothing but air can get in e 
The ears, which are very large, are dentated round the edges, and they hang in an 
irregular pendulous manner, nor are ever ereded, except when the creature is pro¬ 
voked, at the fame time that thefe are contraded, and in fome degree ereded, for it 
is but in an imperfed manner that the elephant has this in it’s power: the fnout is 
alfo contraded to it’s fhortek dimenfions, fo as to be held in readinefs to dart out on 
the enemy with full violence : the foals of the feet are not covered with any thing horny 
or firm, but with a mere fkin, and this indeed thinner than that of the rek of the bo¬ 
dy, and eafily cut through with a knife. The eminences in the circumference of the 
foot are five; they are fhort, and anfwer to fo many toes; and under the fkin which 
covers the toes, down to the divifion of thefe, there is lodged a great quantity of fat 
tor the keeping them foft, and preventing their rubbing againk one another: the 
