4 MARCH 1882, Page 13

" JUMBO."

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Your article on " Jumbo " is written in such a different spirit to that of many that have appeared in the papers during the week, that the point upon which you consider the Council of the Zoological Society have acted unwisely in parting with him is, perhaps, worth seriously considering. You may be sure that no one in England would feel so much pleasure and pride in endeavouring to realise your interesting dream of cherishing the last survivor of an expiring race as they would, if there appeared to be any probability, or even possibility, of doing so. But the

idea is, I fear, altogether founded upon erroneous data. The great longevity of elephants is a popular delusion, handed down from

antiquity, and maintained by certain traditions of exceptional instances in India, which probably would not bear strict scien- tific investigation. But whatever may be the case in their native land, it is certain that it does not apply to those speci- mens which have been kept in captivity in our climate. I do not know of a single instance of one that has lived as long as twenty-five years in England. The nearest approach to this, the female elephant " Chunee," which came to the Zoological Gardens as a calf, about a year old, in 1851, died in July, 1875, showing many signs of decrepitude. That " Jumbo " should have lived as long as he has is probably in great measure due to the amount of outdoor exercise that hitherto it has been possible to afford him. His contemporary and former companion at the: Jardin des Plantes died long ago. It must not be forgotten that he is the first of his species that has attained maturity in captivity in Europe, and that Indian experience is not alto- gether relevant to his case. There seems little doubt that African elephants, though fully as intelligent as their Indian congeners, are more impatient of restraint. At all events, some consideration should have been bestowed upon the executive of the Society, if they wished to relieve themselves from the re- sponsibility of trying what is really a novel experiment, under circumstances of peculiar difficulty, caused by the conditions under which such animals are necessarily kept in the Zoological Gardens, difficulties of which the ignorant persons whose voices have been so loud upon the subject of late can have no idea. As " Jumbo " is still with us, and as the time of his departure, if it take place at all, is in his own keeping, I will say no more on this head, lest we should see the development of a panic of terror as wide-spread and as unreasonable as the present out-

burst of affection.—I am, Sir, &c., F. Z. S.

[We do not believe in the popular delusion statement. An elephant ought to live, judging by his slow growth, 150 years, and does live 130 in his own climate.—ED. Spectator.]