first bends the hind legs one after the other, then the fore legs, which are stretched out in front; in rising the process is reversed.
Few animals not aquatic by nature swim as well as elephants. They have been known to swim for six hours or even more without resting. The pace is not rapid, probably about a mile an hour.
The principal sounds made by elephants are the following. First the shrill trumpet, varying in tone, and expressive, sometimes of fear, sometimes of anger. Secondly a roar from the throat, caused by fear or pain. A peculiar hoarse rumbling in the throat may express anger or want, as when a calf is calling for its mother. Pleasure is indicated by a continued low squeaking through the trunk. Lastly, there is a peculiar metallic souud made by rapping the end of the trunk on the ground and blowing through it at the same time. This indicates alarm or dislike, and is the well known indication of a tiger's presence. An elephant sometimes tries to frighten its enemies by blowing through its trunk.
Most elephants are timid inoffensive animals, though individuals are vicious; females with young offspring and solitary males or "rogues" being most disposed to attack. The attack is made with the trunk tightly coiled, the feet, and in males the tusks, being used for purposes of offence, and the adversary, if caught, is generally trampled upon.
I quite agree with Sanderson in believing that the intelligence of elephants has been greatly overrated. They are singularly docile and obedient—no other mammal is known to be capable of domestication when adult to nearly the same extent—and docility in animals is generally I think confounded with intelligence[1]. Judging by the development of its brain, an elephant is probably of lower intellectual capacity than other Ungulates.
Tame elephants very rarely breed in India. In parts of Burma and Siam breeding from tame females is said to be common. The period of gestation has been ascertained to be about 19 months (Heysham, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 731, and 1880, p. 23), though it is said to vary from 18 to 22; and according to some writers (e. g. Campbell, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 139) the latter period has been recorded (see also P. Z. S. 1880, p. 222, and J. Ac. Sc. Philad. (2) viii, p. 413). The young are generally born in September, October, and November, though a few are produced at other seasons. Twins are a rare exception, a single young one the rule. The young when born is about 3 feet high and weighs about 200 lb. It sucks with the mouth, not with the trunk, which is short and but little flexible. An elephant is full grown, but not fully mature, at 25 years of age, and individuals have been known to live over 100 years in captivity; in a wild state their existence probably extends to 150 years.
Male elephants are liable to periodical attacks of excitement, supposed to be of a sexual nature, though this does not appear
- ↑ 'Geology and Zoology of Abyssinia,' p. 225, note.
