instrument, but can travel without much difficulty over unequal ground, avoiding lumps and hollows, and stepping over ditches. The creature, under such circumstances, rarely touches the ground with its trunk; but projecting it forward as far as possible, lets the finger, which is curled inward to protect the nostrils, skim along the surface, to the inequalities of which this organ adjusts itself with wonderful exactness." The animal takes great care of his trunk; if it be in the slightest degree injured, he becomes almost wild with rage and terror.

The skin of the elephant has very little hair upon it. The creature is evidently adapted to live in warm climates; for, with the exception of a few hairs on the legs, tail, and the crown of the head, the animal has no covering over his skin to defend him from the cold. The same deficiency makes him very sensible to heat, and careful to defend himself from insects. Some parts of the elephant's skin, which are not callous, are seized upon by flies, and they torture the animal exceedingly. His tail is too short to reach any portion

of his body, and his trunk alone is insufficient to defend him from myriads of his petty enemies. In his native forests he snaps branches from the trees, and with his trunk brushes off his tormentors, and fans the air to prevent their settling on him. In a confined state, he converts a truss of hay into a wisp for the same purpose; and he often gathers up the dust with his trunk, and covers the sensible parts. This want of hair in hot countries is lessened by the disposition of the animal to bathe. A country full of succulent plants, and plentifully supplied with showers and pools, is the natural abode of the elephant. Copious draughts of water are also necessary to his existence.

Bishop Heber speaks of the enjoyment the elephant finds in bathing, having witnessed, near Dacca, about twenty fine animals, with their heads and trunks just appearing above the water. He states the noise they made to be something between the bellowing of a bull and the blowing of a whale, and that the sound was "peculiarly solemn."

A large elephant weighs from six to seven thousand pounds. To support such a mass, the

legs must be fitted to bear its weight, and they are accordingly of great thickness, supported upon broad hoofs, each terminated by five nails. The sole of the foot is nearly circular, and in one eight feet high is about twelve inches in diameter. The foot is more tender than that of the horse, and the animal often becomes disabled by long travelling. The invention of a shoe would confer an important service both on the animal itself, and the countries where, from its useful qualities, it is so much valued.

When tamed, the elephant becomes the most docile and useful of all animals; and one of his most remarkable peculiarities is, that he may be entrusted to perform particular work and labour without the superintendence of man. Mr. Williamson says, that "elephants, after being some time in training, acquire a perfect intelligence regarding particular words in general use. They will answer to their respective names; and uttering a shrill note, somewhat resembling the sound produced by blowing forcibly into a shell, resort to their mohouts (keepers) when called."

They will perform particular services upon the promise of particular rewards, which it is dangerous to refuse them when the work is finished. The keepers have an extraordinary command over these mighty creatures. Bishop Heber mentions the fact of an elephant, that, from some private signal of the keeper, killed a woman, who had said something to offend him. The man was afterwards executed. An officer, who has served in India, states that he has seen an elephant acting as nurse to a keeper's child, while the mother left it to do some business. The child, not liking to lie still in one position, would, as soon as left to itself, begin crawling about; it would sometimes even get under the legs of the animal, or entangle in the branches of the trees on which he was feeding, when the elephant would, in the most tender manner, lift it out of the way with his trunk, or remove the impediments to its freer progress. The animal was chained to a peg in the ground, and if the child was likely to crawl out of his reach, he would stretch out his trunk and lift it back as gently as possible.

"I have seen," says M. D. Obsonville, "two elephants occupied in beating down a wall which their keepers had desired them to do, and encouraged them by a promise of fruits and brandy. They combined their efforts, and doubling up their trunks, which were guarded from injury by leather, thrust against the strongest part of the wall, and by repeated shocks continued their attacks, still observing the state of equilibrium with their eyes; then, at last, making one grand effort, they suddenly drew back together, that they might not be wounded by the ruins." In Knight's "Menagerie" it is stated, that an elephant would swim, laden with parcels, from Barrackpoor to the opposite shore of the Ganges, and then unload himself with the utmost precision. The lady, who related the circumstance, staying with her husband, an officer in the Company's Service, was astonished one morning to observe an elephant, unattended, marching into the court-yard, carrying a very heavy box in his trunk. He deposited this; soon returned with a similar box, which he placed by the side of the other. He continued this operation