for an Indian male, and eight feet for the female, although occasionally
they are considerably larger. There are hardly any elephants that
measure ten feet in a direct perpendicular, although the mahouts pretend
to fictitious heights by measuring with a tape or cord from the spine,
including the curve of the body.

As Jumbo was proved to have attained the height of eleven feet although
in captivity from infancy, it may be easily imagined that in a wild
state the African elephant will attain twelve feet, or even more. I have
myself seen many animals that would have exceeded this, although it
would be impossible to estimate their height with accuracy.

The shape of the African variety is very peculiar, and differs in a
remarkable manner from the Asiatic. The highest point is the shoulder,
and the back is hollow; in the Indian the back is convex, and the
shoulder is considerably lower. The head of the African is quite unlike
that of the Indian; and the ears, which in the former are enormous,
completely cover the shoulder when thrown back. The best direction for a
vital shot at an African elephant is at the extremity of the ear when
flapped against the side. A bullet thus placed will pass through the
centre of the lungs. The Indian elephant has many more laminae in the
teeth than the African, constituting a larger grinding surface, as the
food is different. The African feeds upon foliage and the succulent
roots of the mimosa and other trees, which it digs up with its powerful
tusks; the forests are generally evergreen, and being full of sap, the
bark is easier to masticate than the skeleton trees of India during the
hottest season. Both the Indian and African varieties have only four
teeth, composed of laminae of intensely hard enamel, divided by a softer
substance which prevents the surface from becoming smooth with age; the
two unequal materials retain their inequality in wear, therefore the