The Secretary for the Colonies has prohibited the slaughter of
elephants in Ceylon, where the beasts are being rapidly ex- terminated. No more elephants are to be killed except for Government purposes for some time to come, though -"rogue" elephants, which are dangerous to life, and elephants which ravage the crops, may still be shot down. The beast is greatly wanted, it is said, in the island to assist in public works, -and it has a certain value in war in countries where carriage is either scarce or difficult. Moreover, it is a pity that an animal -of such exceptional intelligence and peculiar form, an animal hardly belonging to our epoch, should perish out,—and he is perishing fast, the increased price of ivory putting whole tribes upon his track. In Africa the beast is massacred, and in India the supply of the stud yearly becomes more difficult, till it was the opinion of the late Mr. Blyth, a naturalist whoseattainments were recognised all over Europe, but who was entirely unrecog- nised in Calcutta, that in a century the elephant would probably be as extinct as the mastodon.
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