Evening star., 1900-01-20
ELEPHANT TUSkS,
The Biggest known Are Coming to
the United States.

From the London Standard.
A photograph of the largest pair of tusks
taken from an African elephant was eX-
hihited last night at the Geological Society.
For some time the reccrG had been held by
England, Sir E. G. Loder being the possessor
of a tusk which was nine feet five inches
along the outside curve. exceeding the
measure of that just below it by an inch,
and it's weight by twerty-four pounds. OF
the two new SpeCmens-obtained. are
told. in the fNilimaujaro district-the larger
was ten feet four INCHES along the outside
cLlve, and scaled 30 pounds; the second
was little shorter AMI weighed ten pounds
less. An English firn: with an African
agency in treaty for them on behalf of
a sportsman in this country, but the price
asked was considered 10 be too high. and
eventually they were secured, on behalf OF
a museum in the United States, by an
American firm trading in Zanzibar, for
little over -t7UU. Some doubt has been eX-
| pressed as to whether these two tusks
are really a par-that is, whether they
both came from the. same animal-but the
difference in their weight-only ten pounds
seems too small to justify the skepticism.
The late Sir Samuel Baker. who knew all
that was worth knowing about African ele-
plants, says these animals are to a large
extent root eaters, supplementing this diet
by the leafy tops of, the mimosa, and in or
der to obtain this green food they oVerturn
the trees. This is done by plowing up the
lcng struggling roots with. their tusks. and.
as the right tusk is generally used for this
purpose, it becomes lighter from continual
wear. This fact is well known to the Arab
hunters and dealers, who call the right
tCsk the servant. Sir Samuel gives the
respective weights of a pair of tuSks that
together scaled 40 pounds as % pounds for
the left tusk and 65 for the servant If
this proportion hotdS-atId it does not seem
10 have been impugned-the difference be-
tween the two tusks should be something
like thirty-tiVe pounds instead of ten. But.
though the question whether the same ami
nal bore them cannot be satisfactorily de
cided, there can be doubt that they are
the largest examples of which there is au-
thcntic record.
For the last seventy years elephants have
been protected by the government in the
south and east of Cape Colony. but else
where in South Africa the species is rap
idly approaching extinction. South of the
Zambesi, where in the pllddle of the CEN
tUry they abounded, there are now but a
few herds left. and Mr.. Rowland Ward,
who has ample means of knowing, says
there is but a single herd in all khama 5
country. The demand for ivory-to some
tent in the form of trophies. but to a much
greater extent for NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
for the determination of the elephant in
scme parts of Africa One firm of cutters
alone are said 10 use from 1000 to 1000
II SKIS every year. and to keep stock OF
eight tons of ivory on hand. To supply the
needs of this single house at least 1.2l1
elephants must be slaughtered year by year.
In Central Africa the arimal is still abund-
ant, and in some districts measure of pro-
lection is afforded it The native poachers.
however, set the regulations at defiance. 1t
is very desirable that something should be
done to utilize the elephant in Africa as
beast of burden, has been done for CEN
turies in Asia; but Sir Samuel Baker point
| ed out long ago the natives have no aptl-
tude for DEMONSTRATING wild animals, and
the attempt, if made at all, must be made
| by Eng}iShmen.