non-deciduous character of this tegumentary covering to theperios- 

 teum, and the conseąuent permanency of the homs in the GirafFe, 

 reminding us of the persistent nature of these organs as it obtains 

 throughout the Antelopes. 



The black callous integument on the upper surface in the homs, 

 is noticed as a probable indication of a tendency to develope a su- 

 perabundance of epidermio raaterial ; and Mr. Owen conceives that 

 the strong black hair which grows in a matted tuft around their 

 extremities may represent, in an unravelled statė, the fibres com- 

 posing the horny coverings of the core in the homs of the Antelope. 

 A few examples occur among both Deer and Antelopes, in ■vvhich 

 the possession of homs is found in the two sexes, as in the Giraffe ; 

 but in this animal these organs present certain peculiar characters 

 in the mode of their articulation to the skull, the basis of the hom 

 being united by sychondrosis to the frontai and parietal bones, con- 

 stituting an epiphysis rather than an apophysis of the craniuni. With 

 regard to the supposed occurrence of a third horn in the malė 

 Nubian GirafFe, as the osteological details bearing upon this point are 

 given in that part of the memoir wbich embraces the description of 

 the skeleton, Mr. Owen in this place merely observes, that the 

 evidence afforded by the examination of the two individuals in ques- 

 tion was rather opposed to, than in favour of its existence. 



The general form of the GirafFe is obviously modified ■vvith 

 especial reference to its exigencies and habits ; the prolongation and 

 extensibility of its hair-clad muzzle, the peculiar development, cy- 

 lindrical shape and flexibility of its tongue ; the obliąue and narrow 

 apertures of the nostrils, defended by hair and surrounded with 

 cutaneous muscular fibres, enabling the animal to close them at ■vvill, 

 and thus to j^rotect the olfactory ca%dty from the fine particles of 

 sand ■vvhich in the storms of the desert Avonld otherwise find ingress, 

 are points referred to by the author as exhibiting marked adapta- 

 tions of structure in especial harmony \vith a mode of life conseąuent 

 upon the nature of its food and its geographical distribution. 



For a description of the general external peculiarities of the body 

 the author refers to Riippell's Reise im Nordlichen Africa ; GeofFroy 

 in the Annales des Sciences, xi. p. 210 ; Salze, in the Mėmoires du 

 Museum, xiv. p. 68 ; and the 5th and 6th volumes of Sir E. Home's 

 Comparative Anatomy. 



Organs of Digestion. 



The Giraffe differs from every other Ruminant in the form of the 

 mouth, which resembles that of the Eik in the non-division and ex- 

 tensibility of the hair-clad upper lip, but differs -vvidely from it in 

 the elegant tapering shape of the muzzle. The museles of the 

 tongue, both as to number and arrangement, presented no peculi- 

 arities ofimportance, butthenerves were characterized by the beau- 

 tiful wavy course in which they were disposed, and by which dis- 

 position they are accommodated to the greatly varying length of 

 this organ. The erectile tissue, conjectured by Sir Everard Home 

 to be present in the tongue of the Giraffe, and to be the cause of 



