THE ELEPHANT'S SAGACITY.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." J
Sin,—Some time ago some interesting stories were told by your correspondents of the display of intelligence by animals. I doubt whether any of these showed greater Lvidence of reasoning power than was lately exhibited by a young elephant at Belle, the gardens in this city. My son for some weeks visited the gardens daily, sketching the animals, Szc. Amongst these is a young "baby" African elephant, decidedly vicious in temper. There are also two or more full-grown elephants. Near their stalls are boxes containing biscuits. When a penny is given to one of the animals, it puts the coin into a slot, and, as it falls it releases a biscuit, which the elephant takes with evident satisfaction. Some of the visitors, how- ever, occasionally give the animals a halfpenny, and as experience has taught them that this coin is of no value for the purpose of obtaining biscuits, it is gene- rally thrown contemptuously back to the giver. One day, while my son was present, a visitor gave the " baby " elephant a number of halfpennies in succession, each of which was thrown at him again as soon as received. The visitor then gave the animal two halfpennies at the same time. His demeanour immediately changed. For more than five minutes he held the two coins in his trunk, rubbing them together, and now rocking from side to side, and presently seeming to be pondering deeply while perfectly still. At last he dropped the two halfpence in the box together, with the result that their combined weight gave him the desired biscuit. The joy of the creature was almost ludicrous. His big ears were expanded, and be gambolled about in a manner which exhibited the most extravagant delight. It would seem that he had come to the conclusion that the combined weight of the two coins would produce the desired result. For, even yet, I believe, that he has not learnt to hold one halfpenny in reserve until he gets another. In other words, he has not learnt to count. It is only when two are given to him at one time that he appreciates the value of the offering.—I am, Sir,
GEO. FREEMANTLE.
Dunholme, Higher Ardwick, Manchester.
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