_Elephants_.


All the elephants which were exported from Point de Galle were caught
in ancient, as well as in modern times, in that tract of country which
extends from Matura to Tangcolle, in the south of Ceylon, and which,
from its being famous for its elephants in his days, is described by
Ptolemy in the map he made of Ceylon sixteen hundred years ago as the
_elephantum pascua_. The trade in elephants from Ceylon, which used to
be lucrative, is now completely annihilated, in consequence of all the
petty Rajahs, Foligars, and other chiefs in the southern peninsula of
India, who used formerly to purchase Ceylon elephants as a part of
their state, having lost their sovereignties, and being therefore no
longer required to keep up any state of this description. A gentleman
who has a plantation at Candy, it is understood, recently introduced
the use of elephants, in ploughing, with great advantage.--_Trans.
Asiatic Society_.

* * * * *


_The Fennecous Cerdo_.

[Illustration: Fennecous Cerdo.]


This beautiful and extraordinary animal, or at least one of its genus,
was first made known to European naturalists by Bruce, who received it
from his dragoman, whilst consul general at Algiers. It is frequently