By prostrating them of course he gets their whole frondage within easy distance of his elastic nose, and can strip it off at pleasure.

At times, however, he tears up a tree to make a meal of its roots--as there are several species with sweet juicy roots, of which the elephant is extremely fond.

These he drags out of the ground with his trunk, having first loosened them with his tusks, used as crowbars.

At times he fails to effect his purpose; and it is only when the ground is loose or wet, as after great rains, that he can uproot the larger kinds of mimosas.

Sometimes he is capricious; and, after drawing a tree from the ground, he carries it many yards along with him, flings it to the ground, root upwards, and then leaves it, after taking a single mouthful.