ibres of the
stylo-glossus on each side, and the root of the tongue in front, which
is prolonged backwards so as to form a free sharp margin, we have
thus, as it were, a narrow aperture surrounded by a sphincter muscle,
into which the trunk being inserted, and grasped above its dilated
extremity by the sphincter arrangement just referred to, air is thus
effectually excluded; and, the nasal passages being then exhausted
by the act of inspiration, water is lodged within these passages,
to be used as the animal thinks fit, either by throwing it over his
body, or again returning it into his mouth."

This is doubtless a correct conclusion. The question still remaining
open is, What is the fluid--water or a secretion? If water, where
is it stowed in sufficient quantity? The testimony of several eminent
anatomists appears to be against stomach complications such as
before suggested. Dr. Anderson has told me that he had the
opportunity of examining the stomachs of two very large elephants,
which were perfectly simple, of enormous size; and he was astonished
at the extent of mucous surface. If water were drawn from such a
stomach, it would be more or less tainted with half-digested food,
besides which, when drunk, it would be rapidly absorbed by the mucous
surfaces. I think therefore that we may assume that these yield back
a very fluid secretion, which is regurgitated, as before suggested,
into the pharyngeal pouch, to be withdrawn as required. Sir Emerson
Tennent figures, on the authority of Dr. Harrison, a portion of the
trachea and oesophagus, connected by a muscle which he supposes
"might raise the cardiac orifice of the stomach, and so aid this organ
to regurgitate a portion of its contents into the oesophagus," but
neither Dr. Watson nor Messrs. Miall and Greenwood have found any
trace of this muscle.

* * * * *

Before proceeding to a detailed account of the Indian elephant, I
will cursorily sketch the difference between it and its African
brother.

The African elephant is of larger size as a rule, with enormously
developed ears, which quite overlap his withers. The forehead
recedes, and the trunk is more coarsely ringed; the tusks are larger,
some almost reaching the size of those mentioned above in the fossil
head at the museum. An old friend of mine, well known to all the
civilised--and a great portion of the uncivilised--world, Sir Samuel
Baker, had, and may still have, in his pos