One of the strongest instincts of the elephant is to try the strength of everything before he ventures upon it, and it is almost impossible to induce him to trust himself upon any surface which is not perfectly firm and steady. Therefore the well-authenticated story is the more extraordinary of a rope-dancing, or rather walking elephant, who not only walked forwards, but backwards upon a suspended rope. A female elephant, seven years old, on being brought to the Adelphi, first ascertained the safety of the stage, and then began to rehearse the parts she used to play in Paris. Having succeeded so well in this place, she took a higher walk of performances at the Coburg theatre, where she rehearsed for three weeks, then distinguished the actors, learnt to place the crown on the head of the lawful king, and feasted at his banquet with perfect propriety. All this was taught her by kindness. A poor little calf elephant hovered about the body of its mother after she had been killed, making the most mournful noises; the herd had deserted them, and they had passed the night in the forest. The poor thing, when the hunters came up, entwined its little proboscis about their legs, showed its delight at their approach by many ungainly antics, then went to the body of its mother, scaring away the vultures; ran round it with every mark of grief, and tried to raise it with its trunk. Of course the confidence of the baby elephant was not abused, though its wishes for aid towards its mother, could not be gratified. The elephants of Ceylon have always been reckoned the best; and instances of their memory are quite extraordinary. A favourite mode of execution among the Canadians, when they were masters of the island, was to make the elephants trample upon the criminals, so as to crush their limbs first, and by avoiding the vital parts prolong their agony. When Mr. Sirr was there, he saw one of these elephant executioners. The word of command, "Slay the wretch!" was given to him; upon which he raised his trunk, pretended to twist it round a body, then slowly raised one of his fore feet, and placed it where the limbs of the victim would have been; then he stood motionless with his trunk in the air. He was ordered to complete his work, and he placed one foot as if on the man's abdomen, and another as if on his head, with apparently sufficient force to destroy life. The elephant had not done this for thirty-five years, and yet recollected the whole. They attain a great age, and have been known to live more than a hundred years.