60 BULLETIN 99, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS TIPPELSKIRCHI Matschie. 
1898. Giraffa tippelskirchi Matscuis, Sitz.-ber. Ges. nat. Freunde Berlin, p. 78. 
(Lake Eyasi, Rift Valley, German East Africa; type in Berlin Mus.) 
1898. Giraffa schillingsi Marscuie, Sitz.-ber. Ges. nat. Freunde Berlin, p. 79. 
(Taveta, British East Africa; type in Schillings collection.) 
1910. Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi RoosEveut, African Game Trails, Amer. 
ed., p. 476; London ed., p. 487. 
1914. Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi RoosEvVELT AND HELLER, Life-Hist. 
African Game Anim., vol. 1, p. 316. 
Specitmens.—Six, from localities as follows: 
British East Arrica: Kilima Kui, Kapiti Plains, 2, with skins, 
skulls, leg and foot bones (T. Roosevelt); Machakos Road, 1, with 
skull and skin of head, legs, and tail (K. Roosevelt); Lime Springs, 
Sotik, 3, with skins, skulls, leg and foot bones (T. Roosevelt). 
Of all the beasts in an African landscape none is more striking than the giraffe. 
Usually it is found in small parties or in herds of fifteen or twenty or more individuals. 
Although it will drink regularly if occasion offers, it is able to get along without water 
for months at a time, and frequents by choice the dry plains or else the stretches of 
open forest where the trees are scattered and ordinarily somewhat stunted. Like the 
rhinoceros—the ordinary or prehensile-lipped rhinoceros—the giraffe is a browsing 
and not a grazing animal. The leaves, buds, and twigs of the mimosas or thorn-trees 
form its customary food. Its extraordinary height enables it to bring into play to the 
best possible advantage its noteworthy powers of vision, and no animal is harder to 
approach unseen. Again and again I have made it out a mile off or rather have seen 
it a mile off when it was pointed out to me, and looking at it through my glasses, 
would see that it was gazing steadily at us. It is a striking-looking animal and hand- 
some in its way, but its length of leg and neck and sloping back make it appear awk- 
ward even at rest. When alarmed it may go off at a long swinging pace or walk, but 
if really frightened it strikes into a peculiar gallop or canter. The tail is cocked and 
twisted, and the huge hind legs are thrown forward well to the outside of the forelegs. 
The movements seem deliberate and the giraffe does not appear to be going at a fast 
pace, but if it has any start a horse must gallop hard to overtake it. When it starts on 
this gait, the neck may be dropped forward at a sharp angle with the straight line of 
the deep chest, and the big head is thrust in advance. They are defenseless things 
and, though they may kick at a man who incautiously comes within reach, they are 
in no way dangerous.' 
Family BOVIDA. 
Genus SYNCERUS Hodgson. 
1847. Syncerus Hopason, Journ. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, new series, vol. 16, No. 7, 
p. 709. July. (S. brachyceros.) 
1872. Planiceros Gray, Cat. Rum. Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 10. (S. planiceros.) 
1872. Synceros Gray, Cat. Rum. Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 12. (S. caffer.) 
1911. Syncerus HoutuistER, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 24, p. 192. June 23. 
In addition to the names for African buffaloes enumerated below, 
including those placed in synonymy, the following have been 
proposed for forms from outlying districts within the region 
1 Roosevelt, African Game Trails, pp. 96,97. 1910. 
