Strange stories of the animal world : A book of curious contributions to natural history / by John Timbs.
- John Timbs
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Strange stories of the animal world : A book of curious contributions to natural history / by John Timbs. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![of very dangerous diseases.” Bliimenbacli sa}-s : “ It is pro- bable that the Elepliant will live two hundred j^ears.”* Pigs have been known to reach the ages of twenty-five and thirty years. The Rhinoceros is only full-grown at tAvent}' years of age ; so that Goldsmith’s conjecture that “it liA^es seldom more than twenty years ” is of little Avorth. A sjAecimen died at Versailles in 1793, at the age of tAA^entA^-six years. The Indian one-horned Rhinoceros brought to England by Mr. Cross, in 1834, Avas little more than a year and a half old. The Horse’s life seldom exceeds thirty years, though there liaAm been instances recorded in AA'liich it is said to liaA^e extended to double that period. “ Of the natural age of the Horse Ave should form a very erroneous estimate from the early period at Avhich he is noAV Avorn out and destroyed. * Persons who take their notion of the consumption of ivory from a tooth])iek will he surprised at the immense demand there is for that material in the present da)'^. We gather from Galignani s Messenger that in England are consumed a million pounds of ivory per annum, or upAvards of three times the consumption of the year 1827 ; and the numher of ele])hants killed for England alone are reckoned at 8333, “or thercahouts.” Some 4000 men, it is added, lose their lives annually in the pursuit after ivory—that is, to provide the world Avith coTiihs, toothpicks, knife-handles, billiard-balls, pianoforte-keys, &c. A tusk Aveighing 70 lbs. is considered by the trade a hrst-class one. The largest registered by Cuvier Aveighed 350 lbs. Elejliant-hunters, hoAvever, uoav ]Aenetrate further into Africa, and meet Avith older animals. A short time ago an American house cut u]) an elephant’s tusk Oft. in length, and Awlghing 800 lbs. In 1851, the same house sent to our Great Exhibition the largest piece of saAA'n iAmry ever knoAvn ; it Avas lift, in length, and 1ft. broad. The dearest iAUuy is that Avhi(d) is used for billiard-balls; tliat AA'hich is brought from the Avest coast of Africa, excc])t Gaboon, is much less elastic than other sorts, and is only used for knife-handles. The French in Algeria luwe considerably extended the ivory trade in the noith of Africa, Avhich receives its sup])ly from the caravans crossing the Desert.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28127420_0056.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
