The African Male Elephant Is From Ten To A Little Over
Eleven Feet In Height, And Differs From The Asiatic Species More
Particularly In The Convex Shape Of His Forehead, And The Enormous
Size Of His Ears.
In Asia many of the males, and all the females,
are without tusks, but in Africa both sexes are provided with these
weapons.
The enamel in the molar teeth is arranged differently in
the two species. By an admirable provision, new teeth constantly
come up at the part where in man the wisdom teeth appear, and these
push the others along, and out at the front end of the jaws, thus
keeping the molars sound by renewal, till the animal attains a very
great age. The tusks of animals from dry rocky countries are very
munch more dense and heavier than those from wet and marshy
districts, but the latter attain much the larger size.
The Shire marshes support prodigious numbers of many kinds of water-
fowl. An hour at the mast-head unfolds novel views of life in an
African marsh. Near the edge, and on the branches of some favourite
tree, rest scores of plotuses and cormorants, which stretch their
snake-like necks, and in mute amazement turn one eye and then another
towards the approaching monster. By and-by the timid ones begin to
fly off, or take "headers" into the stream; but a few of the bolder,
or more composed, remain, only taking the precaution to spread their
wings ready for instant flight.
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