Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-10-18

sagacity. So the hand of man and
the hardness of the elephants trunk
plays equal part with the brain in
the manifestations and advancement
of knowledge. The trunk is an
elongation of the muscles of the lip
and nose. Culver says it is composed
of 100000 muscles. It moves in all
known directions. The muscles are
transverse and longitudinal. The
trunk can be heightened or shortened
at will It contains two tubes through
its center by which respiration is
carried on. It has two valves at the
bony enterance of the nose so that he
can fill the lower end of the trunk
without allowing the water to enter
the nose proper. 1t is an organ of
touch. 1t is highly supplied with
nerves from an enormous develop
ment of the 9Th pair of cerebral nerves.
The trunk is so sensitive that wound
causes the elephant to become shocked
(sick) or furious with rage. This is
the reason why elephants are useless
in battle. The trunk gets wounded
and the elephant becomes confused,
with pain the rider being unable to
control, and does more damage than
good. When an elephant meets a
tiger or rhinoceros CHS most deadly
enemies) he elevates his trunk over
his head to keep it out of danger.
Though an organ Of immense strength
Iaceration Of it's tissue seems fatal to
its use. When the elephant enjoys
it's favorite pastime, squirting water
over his or others body, or swimming,
the body is all immersed and he
breathes through the top of the trunk
which is just above water. There are
two species of the elephant, Asiatic
and African characte rized by teeth,
ears and general structure and contour
of the body.
The African is the largest living
elephant. Jumbo is an African, and,
from personal observation of him, he
will do to characterize his own species.
Jumbo stands IA feet high. His
trunk is over 7 feet long. His ear is
3 times as large as the Asiatic
elephant being 5 feet long and feet
wide. (The ear is used as sledges at
the cape of Good Hope.) He has a
hollow back and concave forehead.
He has 2 molar teeth on each side of
each jaw. The molar teeth of an
African elephant have transverse
verticle plates which grow from behind
forward wearing off as they grow.
Jumbo has two large tusks on the
upper jaw which are only about 8
foot long being broken off. The tusk
grows 8 feet long and will sometimes
weigh $50 pounds. The tusks con-
tinues to grow from base pulp
during life and are partly hollow.
Jumbo is dark skinned gigantic
unwieldy specimen, and appears very
old-probably 200 years. It is said
he weighs 2O,eOOpounds CD In the
African both sexes have developed
tusks-for which those grand animals
are hunted and which will soon ex-
terminate them. In fact a recent
writer estimates that 100, OOC
elephants are annually slain. This
can't last long as the elephant is the
slowest of all breeding animals. Tn.
elephant only occasionally breeds in
captivity and therefore most supple,
must be captured from wild herds,
The elephant will breed at the age Of
Is years bringing forth one calf at
time, rarely two. CESSATION lasts q
months. The calf sucks two years and
it is said promiscuously any dam in tie
herd. The female has two teas
placed on the breast similar to tie
Gorilla. The mother and baby are
very afectionate, the dam will fight
desperately and show great wisdom
and herosim for the protection of tie
innocent looking young. The caf
sucks with his mouth the trunk being
turned back over his head. Barnum's
baby elephant when born weighed 40
pounds, now it weighs about 600. It's
body has few struggling hairs over
it, but fine woody fleece exists on is