File:Wild beasts and their ways - reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America (1890) (14757752506).jpg

Identifier: wildbeaststheirw00bake (find matches)
Title: Wild beasts and their ways : reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Baker, Samuel White, Sir, 1821-1893
Subjects: Baker, Samuel White, Sir, 1821-1893 Animal behavior Hunting
Publisher: London New York : Macmillan
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
The actual monetary value of anelephant must of necessity be impossible to decide, as it mustdepend upon the requirements of the purchaser and the depth ofhis pocket. Elephants differ in price as much as horses, and theprinces of India exhibit profuse liberality in paying large sums foranimals that approach their standard of perfection. The handsomest elephant that I have ever seen in India belongsto the Rajah of Nandgaon, in the district bordering upon Reipore.I saw this splendid specimen among twenty others at the durbarof the Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces in December1887, and it completely eclipsed all others both in size and per-fection of points. The word points is inappropriate whenapplied to the distinguishing features of an elephant, as anything 1 The female differs from other quadrupeds in the position of her teats,which are situated upon the breast ^between the fore legs. She is in the habitof caressing her calf with her trunk during the operation of suckling.
Text Appearing After Image:
chap, in THE ELEPHANT 45 approaching the angular would be considered a blemish. AnIndian elephant to be perfect should be 9 feet 6 inches in perpen-dicular height at the shoulder. The head should be majestic ingeneral character, as large as possible,—especially broad across theforehead, and well rounded. The boss or prominence above thetrunk should be solid and decided, mottled with flesh-colouredspots; these ought to continue upon the cheeks, and for aboutthree feet down the trunk. This should be immensely massive;and when the elephant stands at ease, the trunk ought to touchthe ground when the tip is slightly curled. The skin of the faceshould be soft to the touch, and there must be no indentations orbony hollows, which are generally the sign of age. The earsshould be large, the edges free from inequalities or rents, andabove all they ought to be smooth, as though they had been care-fully ironed. When an elephant is old, the top of the ear curls,and this symptom increases with adv

Note About Images