EveninthebeautifulshootingcountrycomprisedbetweentheriverGashandGallabat，althoughwehadexcellentsport，Ihadbeendisappointedatthenumberofelephants，whichIhadexpectedtofindinherdsofmanyhundreds，insteadoffortyorfifty，whichwasthelargestnumberthatIhadseentogether。Thehabitsofallanimalsgenerallydependuponthenatureofthelocalitiestheyinhabit。Thus，asthesecountriesweresubjecttolongdroughtandscarcityofwater，theelephantswere，insomeplaces，contentedwithdrinkingeveryalternateday。Wheretheyweremuchhuntedbytheaggageers，theywouldseldomdrinktwiceconsecutivelyinthesameriver。but，afteralongdraughtintheSettite，theywouldmarchfromtwenty-fivetothirtymiles，andremainforadaybetweenthatriverandtheMareborGash，towhichtheywouldhurryonthefollowingnight。Atothertimes，thesewilyanimalswoulddrinkintheSettite，andretiretothesouth。feedinguponMekNimmur\'scorn-fields，theywouldhurryforwardtotheriverSalaam，aboutthirtymilesdistant，andfromthence，inasimilarmanner，eithertotheAtbaraononeside，orintotheAbyssinianmountains，where，atalltimes，theycouldprocureasupplyofwater。Ihavefrequentlydiscoveredfreshgrainsofdhurraintheirdung，atagreatdistancefromthenearestcorn-field。whentherapiddigestionoftheelephantisconsidered，itmustbeallowedthatthefreshdungfoundinthemorningborewitnesstothetheftofcornduringthepastnight。
thustheelephanthadmarchedmanymilesafterfeeding。Inthe\"RifleandHoundinCeylon，\"publishedin1854，Igaveadetaileddescriptionoftheelephantsofthatcountry，which，althoughpeculiarinthegeneralabsenceoftusks，arethesameastheIndianspecies。
Althoughtheelephantisfoundthroughoutmanycountries，extendingoveranenormousarea，thereareonlytwospeciesatpresentinexistence，——theIndianandAfrican。thesearetotallydifferentintheirhabits，andaredistinguishedbypeculiaritiesofform。Themoststrikingdifferenceisintheshapeoftheheadandspine。TheheadoftheIndianspeciesisperfectlydistinct。
theforehead，whenheldinthenaturalpositionofinaction，isperpendicular。andabovetheslightconvexityattherootofthetrunkthereisadepression，inshapelikeaherald\'sshield:abulletinthelowerportionofthatshieldwouldreachthebraininadirectline。TheheadoftheAfricanelephantiscompletelyconvexfromthecommencementofthetrunktothebackoftheskull，andthebrainissituatedmuchlowerthaninthatoftheIndianspecies。theboneisofadenserquality，andthecasesforthereceptionofthetusksaresocloselyparallel，thatthereisbarelyroomforabullettofindachanceofpenetratingtothebrain。itmustbedeliveredintheexactcentre，andextremelylow，intheveryrootofthetrunk。eventhenitwillfrequentlypassabovethebrain，astheanimalgenerallycarrieshisheadhigh，andthrownslightlyback。TheteethoftheAfricanelephantdiffermateriallyfromthoseoftheIndian，bycontainingalessernumberoflaminaeorplates，thesurfacesofwhich，insteadofexhibitingstraightandparallellineslikethoseoftheIndian，areshapedinslightcurves，whichincreasethepowerofgrinding。TheearsoftheAfricanspeciesareenormous，andwhenthrownbacktheycompletelycovertheshoulders。theyarealsoentirelydifferentinshapefromthoseoftheIndianspecies。WhenanAfricanbullelephantadvancesinfullchargewithhisearscocked，hisheadmeasuresaboutfourteenfeetfromthetipofoneeartothatoftheother，inadirectlineacrosstheforehead。Ihavefrequentlycutofftheeartoformamat，uponwhichIhavesleptbeneaththeshadeofatree，whilemypeopledividedtheanimal。
ThebackoftheIndianelephantisexceedinglyconvex。thatoftheAfricanisexactlythereverse，andtheconcavitybehindtheshouldersissucceededbyapeculiarityinthesuddenriseofthespineabovethehips。Thetwospeciesarenotonlydistinctincertainpeculiaritiesofform，buttheydifferintheirhabits。