The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-06-15
A BABY ELEPHANT,
The FirSt Os its Species Fever Born in America
Circumstances Attending the Birth OF this
Greatest OF Geological WOrderS.

care ana attenuOn bestowed upon these
have resulted in an altogether unlocked
for and unheard-of event, calculated tc
awaken the iveliest interest in the minds
Of the students of animated nature. The
event was the birth of a fine, healthy baby
elephant, the first ever born in captivi-
ty, which fact makes this an exceedingly
interesting occurrence. This infantiIe
specimen of the largest species ofpaehy-
ds5nita is cute, fat, lubberly, bouncing
baby of the female sex, the antics OF
which are exceedingly droll, and whose
welfare is watched over BY mother of
huge proportions.
| \ mother elephant and her infant,
far from the jungles of Asia or Africa,
and even there seldom seen, standing to
be gazed at by the multitude here in the
midst of populous American cities, is a
sight without precedent. The little
stranger first saw the light in February
last, at the winter quarters of Mr. Fore
paughis menagerie. in Germantown, Pa,
weighing at its birth something over 100
pounds. and only thirty-seven inches
high.
This little infant has settled, contrary
to the dicta of all eminent biologists, the
manner in which the baby elephant
nurses. Button, Perrault, Howell and
other distinguished writers on natural
history, have asserted that the Young
elephant nurses with its trunk. Fore
paughs baby proves the incorrect
ness of this statement This little
cuss" nurses with its mouth. The
mother elephants bosom is between its
forelegs, and the baby" elephant stands
in front Ofits mammoth mamma and
takes the nipple, which is about three
times the size of that of COW, in its
mouth then uses its trunk to press the
milk from its breast, just as women
often use their hands when nursing to
press their bosoms and facilitate the
| flow of milk. The mother weighs 200
pounds. She was only a few hours in
her confinement, but previously had Oc-
cupied herself for days in making ar
rangements for the comfort of the ex-
pected stranger. She gathered all the
straw and other soft material that was
acceptable for the couch, even appropri-
ating a coat belonging to one of the
showmen, and showing displeasure when
an attempt was made to take it away
The arrival of Baby" was wholly unex
peeled, and no person about the premis-
es had any knowledge of the important
event until it had transpired The
watchmen on his rounds at II o'clock,
went into the apartment where the ele-
phants-six in number-are kept; moth
ing gunusual was discernable and he went
on through all the departments About
, o'clock there arose from the elephants
q very strange noise. They all seemed
to be indulging in one grand bawl. The
keeper rushed into the building expect
ing TO find the elephants ali loose, but
found them fast and in the best oshumor
and af.er quiet was restored discovered
nothing unusual. The next morning as
he entered the room he discovered
Baby who seemed somewhat surpris-
| ed, but showed signs of delight and
a disposition TO play. @Baby' has been
steadily improving since. and Is very
playful and tractable as a kitten. She
sucks the mother, eats bread and milk
and potato parings ana lately made
several attempts at eating hay. She
manages her trunk with ingenuity and
with confidence. When~rhe baby ar
rived, the mother was unceasing in her
attentions to it and care for its comfort,
She layished caresses on it, patting it
with her trunk and rubbing her great
head against it. When it responded to
her manifestations Of regard she was
oYerjoyed.
She evidently thought it very small,
but no mother could have more loving
ly admired the beauty of her infant
When the showmen handled it she
watched carefully that they did not hurt
it. To have done sowould have brough;
ON rage that would have made things
extremely lively; but she seemed graft
fed when even strangers came about to
look at and pat the baby. The mother
is still devotedly attached to it, taking
care that it is cleaned and fed, and pet
ted and humored, even in Its willful,
babyish pranks.
In connection with this interesting
subject, we would add a few miscellane-
GUS remarks concerning elephants in
general
There are at present but two species
of elephants living upon the earth, the
Indian and the African, the latter being
furnished with much the larger tusks,
and will average from eight to ten feet in
height, the female from six inches to a
foot less. The Indian elephant is not so
high as the African by six inches to one
foot. and is the most docile and tracta-
ole of the two. Both species bring forth
their young, which weigh from 100 to
200 pounds, in a marsh or swampy
place, where they are safer from de-
struction by other animals; here they
love to wallow in the mire after the
manner of swine.
There is something in the food Of nj
ture of the captivity which renders the
elephant incapable of propagating his
species, although the male and female
manifest the most lively marks Of affec
ton for each other. This often causes
the male elephant TO 90 into a raging
passion, influencing the female to also
lose her temper, and it is in these spells |
that they are apt to do much mischief |
becoming utterly uncomfortable, so that
il becomes necessary to shoot them. |
Darwin's law of variation comes in here. |
causing an occasional exception, as in
the case of the female elephant and calf
belonging TO the grea: Snowman, Adam |
Forepaugh.
There was a time when the prairies Of
Illinois, and almost the entire West, was
a tramping ground for'vast herds Of ele-
plants. Their remains are found al
most everywhere, but few feet under
the surface of the ground. They have
been called mastodons, but they are in |
reality elephants
THIS laconie but sensible German
ought to be sent out 10 lecture among
the people on temperance: Il sail tell
YOU how it vas Idrink mine lager; den