File:Children's own library (1910) (14781292835).jpg

Identifier: childrensownlibr10burd (find matches)
Title: Children's own library
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Burdick, J. Ellis (Jennie Ellis) Welsh, Charles, 1850-1914
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, National Library Co
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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This apparent defect is compensated by the won-derful manner in which its upper lip and nose areelongated, and rendered capable of drawing up wateror plucking grass. In the proboscis or trunk there areabout forty thousand muscles, enabling the Elephant toshorten, lengthen, coil up, or move in any directionthis most extraordinary organ. The trunk is piercedthroughout its length by two canals, through whichliquids can be drawn by suction. If the Elephantwishes to drink, after drawing the liquid into itstrunk, it inserts the end of its proboscis into its mouth,and discharges the contents down its throat ; but if itmerely wishes to wash itself or play, it blows the con-tained liquid from the trunk with great violence.Through the trunk the curious trumpet-like voice ofthe Elephant is produced. At the extremity is a finger-like appendage, with which it can pick up small objects.In order to sustain the muscles of the jaw and neck, thehead must be very large : were it solid, it would be very
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woods NATURAL HISTORY 93 heavy. The skull is therefore formed of a number ofcells of bone, forming the necessary expanse withoutthe weight, leaving but a very small cavity for thebrain. This fact will account for the numberless bulletwounds which an Elephant will endure in the skull.The ball, instead of penetrating to the brain, merelylodges among the bony cells, and does no great mischief.Not long since, a ball was found firmly embedded inthe tusk of an Elephant ; it was thoroughly impacted,and there was no apparent opening by which it couldhave reached the place that it occupied. It was after-ward found that the ball had struck the Elephant atthe base of the tusk, so as to have sunk among the softand as yet unformed ivory. This by degrees waspushed on as the tusk grew in successive years, until itwas at last surrounded by hard ivory. A spear-headhas been also found similarly embedded. The Indian Elephant is almost invariably taken fromits native haunts and then trained. The Indian h

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