THE GIRAFFE. 57I 



running away," writes Liebtenstein, "presented such an extraordinary 

 sight, that with astonishment and laughter I forgot the whole chase. 

 With the disproportion between the fore and hind quarters, and between 

 the height and the length, quick movement presented great difficulties. 

 It cannot trot ; it can only gallop. And this gallop is so awkward and 

 clumsy that, judging by the slowness with which the limbs are movedj 

 one would fancy that a man could overtake it on foot. But tliis slow- 

 ness is compensated for b}^ the length of the stride, for each stride 

 measures fourteen to eighteen feet. The peculiar formation of its fore- 

 quarters compels it to throw back its neck in order to throw the centre 

 of granty away from the fore-legs. Every movement of the neck is 

 accompanied by a spring of the hind-legs. Thus the neck keeps swing- 

 ing to and fro, like the mast of a ship rolling." At the same time it lashes 

 its sides with its long tail, and often turns its head to look with its lovely 

 eyes whether its pursuers are drawing nigh. 



Most extraordinary is the position assumed by the Giraffe when it 

 has to lift anything from the ground, or to drink. It spreads its fore-legs 

 out wide apart from each other, till it can reach the ground with its long 

 neck. When it lies down, it first sinks on its fore-knees, and then draws 

 up its hind-legs, finally resting on its breast like the camel. It sleeps 

 lying on one side, with its head on its hind legs. Its sleep is light, and 

 only of short duration. It can go for several days without sleep, and 

 seems to repose standing. The Giraffe is not adapted to eat grass, but 

 to strip leaves from the trees. For this purpose its uncommonly flexible 

 tongue is of as great service as the trunk is to the elephant. It can 

 take up with it the smallest object, and pluck the most tender leaf. 

 " In our Zoological Gardens," Owens writes, " many a lady has been 

 robbed by the Giraffes of the artificial flowers in her bonnet. The animal 

 is guided in the selection of food less by the smell than by the eye, and 

 hence it is often deceived when it has seized artificial flowers with its 

 pliant tongue. In its wild state it consumes chiefly twigs, buds, and 

 leaves of the mimosa. In South Africa the " wait-a-bit " thorn and 

 camel-thorn constitute most of its diet ; in North Africa the Karrat- 

 mimosa or the climbing plants which cover the trees are eagerly 

 devoured by it. As the trees just mentioned are not taller than the 

 Giraffe, it easily procures its food, for its lips and tongue are as insensi- 

 ble to the needle-like thorns as the camel's. It seldom eats grass, but does 

 not despise it when it is green. When its food is juic3^ it can do with- 



