P L A T E X I X .
THE DEAD T IGER.
F r l ias be en r c p e a t o d l y r ema r k e d , Lluil the e l e p l i a n l i t iva r inbly p u i s hi s t runk,
a s far as ]ws s i l ) le, ouL o f d a n g e r . He s e ems lo c o n s i d e r il a s tiie i i i s t ri i inei i t
^vlliell sup] ) l ies liiiii wi l l i lood ; I>IK1 in c a s e o f b l i n dn e s s , r e l i e s u p o n i l lo s a v e
him fi'um I'alliiig inlo pi t s , & c . : a c c o r d i n g l y , -we f ind he d o e s n o t u s e it a s a
w e a p o n ; l lunigl i , f r om a k n owl e d g e of i t s g r e a t p owe r s , one wo u l d h e a p t lo
c o n c l u d e , tha t , it wo u l d be b r o n g l i l to i t s a id on all o c c a s i ons . A s I l a t e l y
ni enl i o u e d , l l i c t runk is e .^l r cme lv l e n d e r , and an a t t a c k u p o n il ne v e r f a i l s to
di'foiU the mos t u n d a u n t e d of the r a c e . T h e ma l e s e ems lo r e l y chi e i l y on i t s
t e e t h , whi ch in sonic a r e v e r y l a r g e ; a n d f r e q n e n t l y , wh e n a t t a c k i n g a t i g e r ,
wi l l s u d d e n l y kne e l , ma k i n g an e f lbr t lo t r a n s f i x its o p p o n e n t . T h i s mo d e of
a t t a c k s e ems to be an inna t e p r inc i p l e ; in f a c t , w c c an s c a r c e l y ima g i n e h ow a
ma l e e l e p h a n t sho u l d a c t wi th t h e h o p e o f s u c c e s s if d e p r i v e d o f his t u s k s . Y e t
we find the g e n e n i l i t y o f iheui l o be e x t r eme l y t imi d, and, tha t o r d i n a r i l y , t h e y
wo u l d r a t he r avoid than e n g a g e in a c ont e s t . S ome l i ave a t t r i b u t e d the e x t r eme
a v e r s i on, so o b v i o u s in e l e p h a n t s , to e n g a g i n g wi t h a n ima l s f a r b e n e a t h ihem in
b u l k , and e v en the i r s u bmi s s i o n to the h uma n r a c e , lo s ome ma g n i l y i n g p owe r ,
wi t h wh i c h l l iey ])roteiHi the e y e of the e l e p h a n t is c o n s t r u c t e d , a n d b y wh i c h
l l i c i r i de a s of the i r own c omp a r a t i v e s u p e r i o r i t y a r e c omp l e t e l y s u b v e r l e d . T h i s
h owe v e r is me r e l i y po l l i e s i s , a n d wo u l d s t a n d c o n f u t e d b y the e v i d e n c e i h e y
mu s l h a v e of e a ch o the r ' s bulk ; wh i c h o f c o u r s e mu s t be in a s imi l a r r a t i o inc
r e a s e i l , even we r e n o t h i n g e l s e to be o p p o s e d lo so v a g u e a c o n j e c t u r e . A s y e t
wc a r c l l l t le a c q u a i n t e d wi th ihe a n a t omy o f the e l e p h a n t . Ce r t a i n l y we a r e
not i g n o r a n t a s to i t s o s t e o l o g y ; b u t tha t is s a y i n g l i t t le. I t is to b e l ame n t e d
tha i ihi! h e a l of ihe c l ima l c p r e c l u d e s o u r p r a c t i t i o n e r s f r om di s s e c t ing , so p a r l i -
cul i i r ly a s to a i iord a c omp l e t e a c q u a i n t a n c e wi t h the wh o l e s t r u c t u r e , a n d p a -
t h o l o g y , of so nobl e , a s we l l a s so u s e f u l , an a n ima l .
I o n c e s aw an e l e p l i anl us e he r I r u n k ; a b o a r w e we r e h u n t i n g ma d e
t owa r d s he r , \ vhen she cur l ed he r I rnnk i nwa r d s , a n d , a s he a p p r o a c h e d , t u r n e d
rapi<l ly lo o n e s i de , a p p l y i n g he r e l a s t i c we a p o n mo s t f o r c i b l y a g a i n s t hi s s ide .
T h e b o a r wa s k n o c k e d ove r b y the b l ow, wh i c h r e s onu i l e d a f a r , a n d f o r a f ew
s e c onds a p p e a r e d lo b e mu c h h u r l : b u t the c h a s e and d e f e n c e we a f t e rwa r d s
e x p e r i e n c e d g a v e us lo u n d e r s t a n d , t l i a l , b e wa s n o t mu c h the wo r s e f o r i h e
r e p u l s e . E l e p h a n t s wi l l f r e q u e n t l y t h r ow c l o ds , or s t one s , a t o b j e c t s t l i ey ma y
e i the r f e a r o r di s l ike . I ha v e , on s e v e r a l o c c a s i ons , s e en t h em p i c k u p l ump s in
p l o u g h e d l a n d , a n d t h r ow the tn wi t h c o n s i d e r a b l e for c e , a n d t o l e r a b l e p r e c i s i on,
a t h o g s t h a i h a v e b e e n n e a r t h em, a n d f r om wh i c h i h e y e x p e c t e d an a t t a c k .
Wh e n e l e p h a n t s find b o g s int ent o n g e l l i n g u n d e r the i r be l l i e s , wi t h the int ent
ion lo r ip, t h e y s ome t ime s l a y d own wi t h a s t o n i s h i n g q u i c k n e s s ; t h e r e b y n o t
o n l y p r o t e c t i n g the i r int e s t ine s f r om i n j u r y , b u t o f t en c r u s h i n g the h o g ; a t
l e a s t g i v i n g a s q u e e z e s u ch a s f ew a n ima l s c o u l d e n d u r e . I h a d o n c e a l i t t l e
e l e p h a n t whi ch h a d be en r e p e a t e d l y c h a r g e d b y h o g s , a n d u s e d , wh e n e v e r she
g o t o n e u n d e r he r b e l l y , l o h u s t l e it wi t h a l l f o u r l e g s ; k i c k i n g in s u c h a ma n n e r
a s r a r e l y f a i l ed to d e p r i v e i l o f t h e me a n s o f e s c a p e .
T h o u g h , in g e n e r a l , e l e p h a n t s b e i n g o n c e t r a ine d lo wo r k b e c ome p e r f e c t l y
t r a c t a b l e , e x c e p t i n g ma l e s a t t h e r u t t i n g s e a s o n , wh e n the y a r c sul l en a n d
v i c i ous , y e t ma n y a r e s omewh a t t r e a c h e r o u s , a n d h a v e a t r ick o f f l i n g i n g o u t a
h i n d l e g a t o b j e c t s t h e y c h a n c e n o t to l i k e : the s e k i c k s , f r om the s i z e of the
l imb , a n d i t s a p p a r e n t u nwi e l d i n e s s , o n e wo u l d think mi g h t b e s u s t a i n e d wi t l i o u l
a n y g r e a t inj u r y , S u c h is b y no me a n s the c a s e : the s t r e n g t h of the a n ima l is
n o t mo r e c o n s p i c u o u s in a n y a c t than in k i c k i n g . T h e y d o n o t l a sh o u t l i k e a
ho r s e , nor wi t h the mo t i on o f an o x ; b u t , p o i s i n g t h ems e l v e s on the o j ) p o s i t e
l i ind l e g , t h r ow o u t tha t wh i c h is n e x t lo the o b j e c t of v e n g e a n c e , a lmo s t in a
r i g h t l i n e ; mu c h the s ame a s if a p a v i o u r ' s r amme r we r e s w u n g f r om the s ame
s i t u a t i on.
T h o s e of the na t i v e s w h o wi s h to h a v e e l c p l i a n l s c omp l e t e l y q u a l i f i e d for t i g e r -
h u n l i n g , t ake the g r e a t e s t p a i n s to h a v e s u c h a s p r omi s e we l l t r a ined b y the
mo s t e x j i e r t mohoufs. F e w f ema l e s a r c d e eme d fit lo b e emp l o y e d in thi s w a y ;
on t h e o t h e r han< l , such ma l e s a s ha v e l o n g t e e th, wi t h a g o o d c u r v e , a r e c o n s i d e r e d
mo s t e l i g i b l e . N o r c a n an e l e p h a n t we l l b e too l a r g e f o r e n c o u n t e r i n g a l i g e r .
I t is lo b e o b s e r v e d , tha t , a l t h o u g l i a ¡>NTICK wi l l o b t a i n ihn i ine s t a n ima l s t h a i
c an be f o u n d , a n d g o lo grea t , e x p e n c e in h a v i n g i h em f u l l y i u s l r u c l c d , y e t ,
- d B liiii i i •