THE GIRAFFE. 3 



in a commodious hut, with the range of a spacious paddock, 

 in the late king's private menagerie at Sandpit Gate. Shortly 

 after its arrival at this place it was accurately measured; and 

 its dimensions were found to be — 



Feet. In. 

 From the top of the head to the bottom of the hoof . . 10 8 

 From the top of the head to the root of the neck ... 4 



Length of the back 3 1 



From the croup to the bottom of the hoof ..... 2 9 

 Length of the head 1 9 



It was at that time exceedingly playful ; but as its growth 

 proceeded, which was rapid (having increased eighteen inches 

 in less than two years), it became much less active ; its health 

 evidently declined ; its legs almost lost their power of sup- 

 porting the body ; the joints seemed to shoot over / and at 

 length the weakness increased to such a degree, that it be- 

 came necessary to have a pulley constructed, which, being 

 suspended from the ceiling of the animal's hovel, was fasten- 

 ed round its body, for the purpose of raising it on its legs 

 without any exertion on its own part. From the harmless 

 disposition and uniform gentleness of this animal, the inter- 

 est which it had excited in His late Majesty was very great ; 

 but notwithstanding every attention, it died in the following 

 year. Its food was barley, oats, split beans, and ash leaves. 

 It was never observed to drink any other fluid than milk, its 

 preference for which probably arose from that fluid being so 

 long the only sustenance afforded it while living among the 

 Arabs. 



Owing: to the distance from town at which this animal was 

 kept, and the state of confinement which its weakly condition 

 rendered indispensable during the latter period of its exist- 

 ence, the living giraffe was seen in this country by compa- 

 ratively few individuals. The skin, however, and skeleton, 

 both beautifully prepared, are preserved in the Museum of 

 the Zoological Society, — the munificent donations of His 

 present Majesty. 



The full-grown male giraffe is reported to be sometimes 

 nearly twenty feet high, from the summit of the head to the 

 sole of the foot. The highest specimen, however, in the Bri- 

 tish Museum, (which is a beautiful male brought over by 

 Mr. Burchell,) measures seventeen feet six inches ; the re- 

 mainder do not exceed sixteen feet. The greatest peculiarity 

 in this animal, and what most strikes the eye of the observer, 

 is the remarkable disproportion of the different parts of its 

 frame. The head and the trunk are of extreme shortness, 

 especially when compared with the neck and legs, which are 



b 2 



