O THE GIRAFFE. 



moved, and was as quickly succeeded by the carrying forward 

 of the leg which had commenced the movement; the gait then 

 proceeded, the two legs of the same side appearing to move 

 simultaneously, although not exactly so ; for on a close in- 

 spection, a trifling interval could be detected between the 

 elevation of the fore- and hind-leg of the same side. When- 

 ever it commenced its walk, its long neck was stretched for- 

 ward in a line with his body, so as to give it rather a stiff and 

 ungainly appearance ; but the novelty and uncommon peculi- 

 arity of every movement and act of this animal overpowered 

 every sentiment but that of astonishment and of delight. 



The chief beauty in the giraffe is the form of the head, and 

 the lustre combined with a mild expression of the eye. These 

 organs are large and prominent, and are so situated at the 

 side of the head, that the animal can see both behind and 

 below it without turning its head. Hence, while browsing 

 on the acacias which skirt the desert, he can command the 

 space behind without suspending the act of feeding. The 

 ears, as in all the ruminants, are well formed for catching 

 sounds ; they most resemble those of the ox. The nostrils 

 have the same shape and position as in the camel, the upper 

 lip being hairy and extending considerably beyond them. 

 The sense of smell is acute and delicate. The most remark- 

 able of the organs of sense is the tongue, which is so modified 

 as to perform in the giraffe many of the purposes for which 

 the proboscis of the elephant is destined. It is even in some 

 respects superior to that wonderful organ ; for being composed 

 almost wholly of contractile parts, unmixed with rigid liga- 

 mentous and cartilaginous material, it can be wholly retracted 

 within the mouth, although when fully extended its length is 

 seventeen inches. When in the latter state, it is so attenuated 

 that its extremity can be inserted into the ring of a very small 

 key; it resembles, in short, a large black worm twisting about 

 the animal's lips, and in this state it is used to hook down the 

 branches which would otherwise be out of the reach of even 

 the Giraffe's lofty stature. We have observed the giraffe in 

 the Garden of Plants instinctively performing this action in 

 extracting the highest straws from the partition which sepa- 

 rated it from a neighbouring stall. With respect to the 

 peculiar colour of this organ, Sir Everard Home observes^ 

 (€ As the tongue, in procuring and tasting the food, is much 

 exposed to the sun's rays, it is furnished with a black rete 

 mucosum, to prevent its being blistered.*" It is covered 

 with little papillae, which Mr. Davis f remarks it can raise at 

 pleasure; for at times the tongue is perfectly smooth and soft, 



* Phil. Trans, vol, exviii. f Literary Gazette, Dec. 1, 1827. 



