On March 10, 1880, the elephant Hebe gave birth to the female calf
America. Hebe is now twenty eight years old, and the father of the calf,
Mandrie, thirty-two. Since the birth of the "Baby," the mother has been
in excellent health, except during about ten days, when she suffered
from a slight indisposition, which soon left her.

When born the calf weighed 2131/2 lbs., and in April, 1881, weighed 900
lbs. A very fair year's growth on a milk diet. At the time I procured
the samples both mother and calf were in fine health.

To obtain the milk was a matter of some difficulty. The calf was
constantly sucking, nursing two or three times an hour, morning, noon,
and night. The milk could be drawn from either of the two teats, but
only in small quantity. The mother gave the fluid freely enough,
apparently, to her infant, but sparingly to inquisitive man, so the ruse
had to be resorted to of milking one teat while the calf was at the
other.

When I first examined the specimens they seemed watery, but to my
surprise, on allowing the milk to stand, I could not help wondering at
the large percentage of cream.

The following represents approximately the daily diet of the mother:

Three pecks of oats, one bucket bran mash, five or six loaves of bread,
half a bushel of roots (potatoes, etc.), fifty to seventy-five pounds of
hay, and forty gallons of water.

Elephants eat continually, little at a time, to be sure, but are
constantly picking. This habit is also observable in the way the calf