Laura Sudbaymy, age 11, of Portland, Me., for her question:

WHAT USE IS AN ELEPHANT'S TRUNK?

The elephant's trunk is so useful that he could not possibly get along without it. Scientists call it a proboscis, which is their word for a remarkable, extra long nose. Actually it is an extra long extension of the nose merged with the upper lip. As a nose, it works as a supersensitive smeller. When he walks along, the elephant sways his trunk from side to side, smelling the ground. Now and then he lifts it to sniff the breezes to catch faraway scents.

The end of the trunk has either one or two lobes that act like fingers to gather boughs from the treetops or pick up peanuts. The trunk sucks up water to squirt in the elephant's mouth or spray his back. It has 40,000 pliable muscles and is strong enough to hoist a one ton tree trunk. It also can be used to stroke a friend or baby elephant with tender caresses.