The Elephant-Lore of the Hindus is a translation of the Matanga-Lila by Nilakantha. It is the best available Sanskrit work on Elephantology The introduction covers the place of elephant-lore in Indian literature, both the theoretical and practical elements of the ‘science’, Modern elephant-lore like good and bad points of elephants, ‘caste’, catching of elephants and others The 12 chapters deal with the origin of elephants, favorable and unfavorable marks, longevity, determination of measurements, details of price, marks of character, kinds of must, catching and keeping elephants, and on the qualities of elephant drivers This reprint is the first volume in a series of elephant books on Thailand and neighboring countries. It gives the basic knowledge of the Indian traditions on which the culture in keeping and training of elephants in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam is based