Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-12-05
THE VANISHING ELEPHANT.
History of Species Which Sports
men, Are Destroying.

London Standard The persecution
of the African elephant by sportsmeu
and 9th ers is lamented This magnitl-
cent animal is not, perhaps, so near eX-
tinction as some recent accounts would
seem to suggest. Indeed, the oonven-
ton recently made between the coun
tries most interested should serve to-
check indiscriminate butchery. Unfor-
tunately, however, the increase of man
means the decrease of the beasts of the
field. The great herbivorous creatures
have large appptites, and prefer the
fruits of cultivation TO those of nature.
A full sized pachyderm In a maize field
or kitchen garden is about rs bad as
a bull in "A china shop. we can hardly
wonder, therefore. that the settlers
wage war on big game. Efforts We're
made to preserve a small herd of hip
popotami in one of the Natal rivers.
but they became such marauders that
they had to be killed Off This was un
fortunate, for they like the rhinoceroS
and elephant. are old-timc creatures,
ana their numbering forms seem con-
structed after ancient patterns,
The elephant alone has lived on this
earth longer than man, II made its way
10 these islands some time in advance
of its future destroyer. But the genus
once had a wider range than now. II
has been found In all the great regions
OF the globe except Australia and South
America though in the northern CON
tinent of the new world n closely al
he'd genus. called the mastudon. was
more common. Even the Maltese is
lands had couple Of species which. i'm
harmony with their restricted range.
were plgmy forms about the size of
donkeys. In our own islands prlmevaf
man. when he had no better weapons
than roughly7chippe flints must have
some time hunted the ancestors both OF
the Indian and the African elephant.
The former, well known to liz as the
mammoth, was quite nj home in cold
climate. for II had developed II woolly
covering to keep itself warm. II rang
ed to the extreme north Of Asia, and its
carcass has been found frozen up in
mud and ice on the Siberian tundras In
| fact. unlike the modern Indian ele-
plant, which Is undoubtedly It's de-
/ scendant II seems to have dlsliked
warmth for in Europe II hardly reach
es the extreme south. while the ances-
tor OF the African elephant never wan
dered so far north as the mammoth.
and Is found on both sides Of the Med
itcrranean Indeed. the present Afri-
can species once existed IN SPAN In
each case the older forms are regarded
MS specifically distinct from those now
living. but yet as their undonbted pro-
rentors
The African elephant may he readily
distinguished from the Indian It's
ears are larger and OF n different shape
SO also Is the forehead the folds Of
enamel on It's molar teeth make an
other pattern, its tusks often are
slightly larger, and the animal Is, on
the whole "A littlo bigger. All that the
Indian elephant can do the African
should be capable of doing II * said
10 be more powerful and active. more
rapid In its movements. especially on
broken ground According 10 Sir SAM
uel Baker il could beat an Indian Gle
plant In race, and keep up the pace
for a longer time. 1t IL also said to
endure the sun better This species
was often brought 10 Rome in the DAYS
of the empire. and the animals were
tame enough 10 be led in proressions
and exhibited In the arena. Pliny has
plenty 10 say about both kinds in his
natural history including some storiea
which we fear would not now command
respect Elephants figured, AS every
one knows. IN the Punic wars; indeed
Hannibal managed TO bring nearly for-
" Of them across the Alps though II
was hard work to get them down the
slippery slope on the Italian side OF
the pass. The late Mr. Oswell suggest
ed that these were not native animals.
but imported from India. This, how
ever. Is n0 very likely Though the
species rs said 10 be rather less doeile
than the Indian. II could probably be-
made useful, II enough trouble were