THE GIRAFFE. 205

feet six inches and his length three feet. He is less sociable
than other species of his kind, living alone with his family
and not in herds like the Fallow Deer. He is found in Scot-
land and in the northern parts of Europe.

The Giraffe. The Giraffe (Camelopardahs giraffa) belongs
to Abyssinia, Nubia and South-Africa. It is the tallest otf
living animals, attaining to the height of eighteen feet. Its
body has some similarity to that of the camel in form, and
its head, which surmounts a neck seven feet long and bears
two horns six inches long, resembles generally that of a horse.
Its tongue, which can be extended seventeen inches, is very
mobile and can be so tapered as to enter a small ring. It
is used in tearing off the foliage of the trees upon which the
animal feeds. Its neck, but for its length, is like that of the
stag, and its legs are slender. The hide is spotted like that
of the leopard and when young is of a light red colour, which
becomes deeper with age, that of the female becoming a
yellow brown and that of the male a dark brown approaching
to black. In repose it lies on its side, resting its head on
its hind quarters. Though only living in a wild state, the
Giraffe is a mild and docile animal, only fighting in self-
defence, and then making powerful use of its heels. The
lion is its great enemy and if it succeeds in leaping upon its
back there is not much chance for the giraffe, which usually
runs until it drops from exhaustion. A blow from the heel
of the Giraffe in the right place would probably kill any of
its enemies, and even the lion has been known to pay dearly
for coming within its reach.

The History The Giraffe was known to the ancients, though,
of the Giraffe. like the gorilla, it has been re-discovered in
recent years. Le Vaillant saw and described the giraffe, but
he was credited with having invented it, and it was not
until a live specimen of it was brought to Paris that his
credibility was established. Mrs. Bowdich, who happened to
be in Paris at the time this animal arrived, gives an amusing