382 ZOOLOGY 



higher in the legs than any member of the ox tribe; otherwise I should 

 compare its size to that of an ox. Like the giraffe, this creature has 

 onlv two hoofs, and no remains whatever of the other digits, which are 

 represented outwardly in the deer, oxen, and in most antelopes by the two 

 little '"false hoofs" on either side of the third and fourth toes. 



The coloratit)n of the okapi is (juitc extraordinary. The cheeks and jaws 

 are yellowish wliite, contrasting abru[)tly with the dark-coloured neck. The 

 forehead is a deep red chestnut ; the large broad ears are of tlie same 

 tint, fringed, ht)Wever, witli jet black. The forehead ranges lietween vinous 

 red and black in tint, and a l)lack line follows the bridge of the nose 

 down to the nostrils. The nuizzle is sepia-coloured, luit there is a faint 

 i-iiu or moustache of rfd(li>h yellow hair round the upper liji. The neck, 

 shoulders. Iiarrel, and Inick range in tone from sej)ia and jet black to rich 

 vinous red. The belly is blackish, exci^jt just under the knees. The tail 

 is bright chestnut red. with a small black tuft. The hiiKupiarters, hind 

 and fore legs are either snowy white or pale cream-colour, touched here 

 and there with orange. They are boldly marked, however, with ])urple- 

 black stripes and splodges, which gi\e that zebra-like a])})earance to the 

 limbs of the okapi that caused the first imperfect accoimt of it to indicate 

 the discovery of a new stri})ed lior>e. The soft parts of the animal being 

 as vet unknown, it cannot be stated positively that the okapi possesses a 

 prehensile tongue like the girafte, but the long and flexible lips would 

 seem to atone for the very weak front teeth. It is probaljly by the lips 

 and tongue that the creaf lu'e gathers the leaves on which it feeds, for 

 according to the accounts of the natives it lives entirely on foliage and 

 small twigs. T^ike all li\ing ruminants (except the camel), it has no front 

 teeth in tlu^ upper jaw. The molars are very lik*^ those of the girafle. 



3Iy first examination of the skull and skin of the okapi caused me to 

 name it tentatively I/r/ladotJierin ui.. The Jlelladofherln m was a giraffe- 

 like animal that e.\i>te(l in the Tertiary Kpoch in (ireece, Asia ]\linor, and 

 India. In India the JIelladofherii( in attained a very great size, but the 

 Greek specimens were not fjuite as large as the modern giraffe. The 

 Hclladofherifdii was hornless, like the okapi, and in another point it 

 resembled this animal, because the neck was not disproportionately long, 

 and the fore and hind limbs were nearly equal in length. The okapi bears 

 on the frontal and nasal bones three slight prominences, which miay be 

 the commencement of horn-coi'es. These are covered outwardly with little 

 twists of hair. P\om the shape of the skull, which is straight and not 

 arched, Professor Kay Lankester argues that the okapi has never developed 

 horns. Though the okapi bears certain superficial resemblances to the 

 Helladotherium, it is probable, on the whole, that it comes nearest in 

 relationship to the giraffe. Being, however, suflficientlv differejit from 



