The Elephant is by far the largest of land animals, and for this reason
one of the most interesting to the student of zoology; but even without
this superiority, he possesses qualities that entitle him to rank among
the curious objects of creation.
In ages long gone by there were elephants upon the earth--or animals
resembling elephants--as much larger than the existing species as these
are superior in size to other quadrupeds. Such were the mammoths and
mastodons, the skeletons of which are occasionally found buried beneath
the surface of the soil in different parts of the world.
As might be expected, the species of this gigantic quadruped are not
numerous. For a long time there was supposed to be only one; but this
was an erroneous belief, and it is now proved that there are _at least_
two, since the elephants of Africa and those of Asia are altogether
different from each other. It is not quite certain that the elephant of
the Island of Ceylon is identically the same as other Indian elephants;
and in the Asiatic countries and islands there are varieties differing
from each other in size, and other peculiarities, quite as much as any
of them does from the elephant of Africa. Again, in Africa itself we
find that this great creature has its varieties--some larger and some
smaller, according to the part of the country in which they are found.
Even the natives of both Africa and the Indian territories recognise
different kinds, proving that on both continents there are several
permanent varieties, if not species.
In the Indian countries these varieties have received distinct names--
just as our breeds of dogs--and an elephant is valued according to the
breed or caste to which he belongs; for in India caste is a universal
idea, even among animals.
There are two principal castes--the Koomareah, of princely race; and the
Merghee, or hunting elephant. These two kinds differ a good deal--as
much, indeed, as if they were separate species. The koomareah is
deep-bodied, strong, and compact, with a very large trunk and short
thick legs. As a large trunk is considered the great beauty of an
elephant, the koomareah is therefore preferred to the merghee; besides,
he is also superior to the latter in strength and powers of endurance.
The merghee is a taller animal, but neither so compact nor so strong,
and his trunk is short and slender in proportion to his height. He
travels faster, however; and for this reason is oftener employed in the
chase.
A cross between these two varieties is called a Sunkareah, which
signifies a mixed breed or mule; and in a herd of elephants there will
be found not only sunkareahs, but several varieties of cross breeds
between the koomareahs and merghees. These "mules" are prized if they
partake more of the nature of the princely caste, and less valued when
nearer to the merghee.
In addition to these distinctions, another very important one is found
in the size and shape of the teeth. The Dauntelah is one with very
large teeth, in opposition to the Mookna, in which the tusks are of
small dimensions, and scarcely visible outside the mouth. The Europeans
prefer elephants of the mookna variety, as these are of milder
disposition than the dauntelahs; but the natives prize the large-toothed
kinds, taking the chance of being able to tame them to submission.
There are many degrees between the mookna and dauntelah, founded on the
form of the tusks. Those of the Pullung-daunt project forward with an
almost horizontal curve, while the straight tusks of the mooknas point
directly downwards. Nearly a dozen varieties or breeds are thus
established among the elephants of India that are held in a state of
domestication.
White elephants are also met with, and are highly prized by the rajahs
and wealthy nobles. These are mere varieties, produced by albinism, and
may belong to any of the castes already described.
It has been further ascertained that the elephants of different Indian
countries vary a good deal in point of size. Those from the southern
districts, and some of the larger islands, are larger and stronger than
the elephants of Nepaul and other mountain countries in the north. The
finest are those of Cochin China and the Burmese territories of Pegu,
while those of Ceylon are even superior to the kinds indigenous to
Northern India.
The African elephants are said also to be larger as they dwell nearer to
the Equator; and from this it would appear that the elephant is
essentially a tropical animal, and thrives best in the climate of the
torrid zone.
The Asiatic elephant is found wild as well as domesticated in nearly all
the Indian countries, as also in many of the large islands. Its range
northward is bounded by the lower hills of the Himalayas; and among
these, especially through the _saul_ forests, these huge animals roam
about in herds, each herd being under the guidance or leadership of an
old male, or "bull," as he is termed. As an elephant brings a
considerable sum of money, even in India, these are eagerly hunted; and
their capture is accomplished by decoying them into a pound or enclosure
constructed for the purpose, where ropes are attached to them, and then
tied to the neighbouring trees. The decoy used is a tame elephant, that
has been already trained for the purpose.
There are in India, as well as in Africa, certain old bull elephants
that lead a solitary life, and that are scarcely ever seen in company
with the herds. These bachelors are usually of a morose and fierce
disposition, and when one of them is captured it requires all the skill
of the hunters to keep clear of danger. These wild bulls are larger and
stronger than the common kind, and so untamable in their ferocity that
even when captured no use can be made of them, since they will die
rather than submit to being trained. They are called Goondahs by the
people of Hindostau, and by English hunters Rogues or Rovers.
The African elephant next merits attention. There is no difficulty in
distinguishing this species from any of the Indian varieties. The
immensely large ears constitute a marked characteristic of the former,
which at once becomes recognisable. Other points of difference are the
greater convexity of the forehead or skull and the larger size of the
tusks; though this last point of distinction is not always to be
depended upon, since there are Indian elephants with tusks of similar
dimensions. Generally, however, the African elephants have the largest
"ivories."
In point of bulk the Asiatic species has been considered superior; but
this belief may not be correct. Certain circumstances should be taken
into account. The Asiatic elephant is living in a domesticated state,
and this may have produced a greater size, as it does in the case of
most other quadrupeds. Another circumstance: the African elephants of
our collections have been mostly obtained from the Cape, or the regions
contiguous to it. But it is now known that in the countries nearer to
the equator there exists a much larger kind, that appears to be quite as
bulky as any of the Asiatic varieties.
The height of the elephant has been much exaggerated by travellers--some
having been described as measuring eighteen feet from the foot to the
top of the shoulder! An authority on this subject, who measured the
largest he could meet with in different parts of India, found none that
stood over twelve feet, and this appears to be the actual height of the
very biggest of elephants.
The African elephants have not been tamed--at least not in modern times;
but it is certain that the elephants used by the Carthaginians in their
wars with the Romans were of this species; and also that African
elephants were the species exhibited by Caesar and Pompey in the Roman
arena.
In a wild state the African elephant has a wide range--from the Cape
country on the south to Senegal on the western side, throughout the
whole of Central Africa, and along the oriental coast to the valley of
the Nile; but it is not very certain whether the elephant of the eastern
countries of Africa is the African species or a variety of the Asiatic
kind. The African elephant is said to be fiercer than that of Asia; but
this is a doubtful statement; and perhaps the habits of the two do not
materially differ, farther than might be expected from a difference of
climate, food, and other external circumstances.