Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-02-06
Elephant Herds.

rate, though within two or three miles of
each other. But they all take,part in any
common movement, sucn as a march in
another tract or forest. The different
parties keep themselves informed at all
times of each others whereabouts, chiefly
by their fine sense of smell. Ihaye OBJ
served that tame elephants can scent wild
ones at a distance of three miles when
the wind is favorable. Each herd Of ele-
phants is a family in which the animals
are nearly allied to each other. Though
the different herds do not inter1nix, es-
capped tame female elephants, or young
males, appear to ind no difficulty in OBJ
tanning admittance to herds.
: In herd of elephants the females with
their calves form the advanced guard,
while the tuskers follow 1eisure1y behind,
as the unencumbered. tuskers, have no
one to see to but themselves. have never
known a case of tusl1er undertaking, 90
cover. the retreat. of herd. A herd is
invariably led by female-nevera male
-and the females with young ones are at
all times dangerous if intruded= upon.
The necessity for the convenience of the
mothers of the herd regulating its move
ment is evident, as they must accommo-
date the length and time of their marches,
and the localities In which they rest or
feed at different hours. to the require
ments of their young ones; consequently
the guidance of a tusker would not suit
them.
Elephants make use of a great variety
of sounds in communicating with each
other, and expressing their wants and
feelings. Some are uttered by the trunk,
some by the throat. The conianetures
in which either means of expression Is
employed cannot be strictly classified
as fear, pleasure, want and other emo
tions are sometimes indicated by the
trunk, sometimes by the throat. Anel-
ephant rushing upon an assailant trum-
pets shrilly with fury; but if enraged by
wounds or other causes, and breoding by
itself, it expresses its anger by contin-
ued hoarse grumbHng from the throat.
Fear is similarly expressed by shriIl,
brassy trumpet, or by roar from the
lungs; pleasure by continued low
squeaking through the trunk, or an al-
most inaudible purriug sound from the
throat. Want-as a calf calling its mother
lis chiefly expressed by the throat. A
peculiar sound is made use of by eIe-
plants to express dislike or apprehen-
sion, and at the same time to intimidate,
as when the cause of alarm has not been
clearly ascertained, and the animals wish
to deter an intruder. It is produced by
rapping the end of the trunk smartly on
the ground, current of air, hitherto re-
tanned, being sharply emitted through the
trunk, as from a valve, at the moment of
impact. The sound made resembles that
of large sheet of tin rapidly doubled.
While in open country the herds move
about good deal during the day in
cloudy, showery weather. On very
stormy andinclement days they keep to
bamboo cover, which is close and warm.
During breaks, when the sun shines for
few hours, they come out eagerly to
warm their huge bodies. They are then
fond of standing on the sheet-reck so
common in the Mysore country above hill
ranges. The Young calves and staid
mothers, in small groups, half doing as
they bask, form tranquil family pictures
at such times. Elephants are partial to
rocky places at all seasons.
While marching from one track of for
est to another, elephants travel in strict
Indian file. They seldom stay more than
one or two days at the same halting place,
as the fodder becomes exhausted. They
rest during the middle hours of the night,
as well as during the day. Some lie down,
and they usually dispose themselves. in
small, distinct squads of animals which
seem to have an affection for each other.
| (Tame elephants frequently display 8
particular liking for one or the other of
their fellows.) About three O'Clock they
rise to feed or march, and by ten O'Clock
| in the day they are again collected, and
rest till afternoon; at eleven atnight they
again rest. In showery, cool weather,
elephants are frequently on the move all
day long.
When calf is born, the herd remains
with its mother two days; the calfis then
capable of marching. Even at this ten
der age calves are no encumbrance TO the
herds movement; the youngest climb and
/ cross rivers, assisted by their dams. In
swimming, very young calves are sup
i
in front of them. When they are few
months old they scramble onto their
mothers shoulders, helping themselves
by holding on with their legs, or they
swim alone. Young calves sent across
rivers in charge of our tame elephants Of
ten did this, though the could swim by
themselves if necessary.
Full-grown elephants swim perhaps
better than any other land animals. A
batch of seventy-nine that dispatched
from Dacca to Barrackpur, near Calcutta.
in November, 1875, had the Ganges and
| several of its large tidal branches to cross.
In the longest swim they were six hours
without touching the bottom; after rest
in a sand-bank they completed the swim
in three more; not one was lost. I have
heard of more remarkable swims than
this.-G. P. Sanderson's 's7htrtesa Years
Among the WIld Beasts Of Indtd.'
scarlet Fever and DiPhtheras
During the week ending january 4th