s avoided.

Sir Emerson Tennent says: "When free in its native woods the elephant
evinces rather simplicity than sagacity, and its intelligence seldom
exhibits itself in cunning;" yet in the next page he goes on to relate
a story told to him of a wild elephant when captured falling down,
and feigning to be dead so successfully that all the fastenings were
taken off; "while this was being done he and a gentleman by whom he
was accompanied leaned against the body to rest. They had scarcely
taken their departure and proceeded a few yards when, to their
astonishment, the elephant arose with the utmost alacrity, and fled
towards the jungles screaming at the top of its voice, its cries being
audible long after it had disappeared in the shades of the forest."
If this be correct it shows a considerable amount of cunning.

Both Mr. Sanderson and Sir Emerson Tennent agree on the subject of
the rarity of the remains of dead elephants. I have never been in
real elephant country; the tracks of such as I have come across have
been merely single wanderers from the Bilaspore herds, or probably
elephants escaped from captivity. Forsyth once came upon the bones
of a small herd of five that had been driven over a precipice from
the summit of a hill, on which there was a Hindoo shrine, by the drums
and music of a religious procession.

The following taken from Mr. Sanderson's lecture is interesting as
regards the constitution of the herds: "Herds of elephants usually
consist of from thirty to fifty individuals, but much larger numbers,
even upwards of a hundred, are by no means uncommon. A herd is always
led by a female, never by a male. In localities where fodder is scarce
a large herd usually divides into parties of from ten to twenty. These
remain at some little distance from each other, but all take part
in any common movement, such as a march into another tract of forest.
These separate parties are family groups, consisting of old
elephants with their children and grandchildren. It thus happens
that, though the gregarious instincts of elephants prompt them to
form large gatherings, if circumstances necessitate it a herd breaks
up under several leaders. Cases frequently occur when they are being
hunted; each party will then take measures for its individual safety.
It cannot be said that a large herd has any _supreme_ leader. Tuskers
never interest themselves in the movement of their herds; they wander
much alone, either to visit cul