f curious
interest, and deserves to be given more in detail, if our space would
only admit of it.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

ELEPHANTS.

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 co