36o 



GIRAFFE GROUP 



however, informed by Sir H. H. Johnston that a very aged female shot in 

 the Elgon district was remarkable for its exceedingly dark colour. So 

 dark, indeed, was this animal, that at a distance it appeared quite a 

 uniform sepia-tint. This indicates that the mounted female in the 

 British Museum, although full grown, is a comparatively young animal. 

 When seen through field-glasses by Sir H. H. Johnston's party, both 

 males and females of this race of giraffe were often so dark in colour 

 that they appeared to be nearly black, with white bellies and legs ; 

 this deepening of coloration being apparently coincident with advanced 

 age. 



The South Lado giraffe (6^. c. cottoni), inhabiting that portion of 



Fig. 70.— Bull Lado Giraffe shot by Major V. 11. G. Powell-Cotton 

 to the southward of Lado. 



the interior of Uganda lying immediately south of Lado, which is itself 

 5° north of the equator, is represented by the mounted head and neck 

 of a male shot by Major Powell-Cotton on March 15, 1903, on Koten 

 plain, at an elevation of 2550 feet. Koten lies to the extreme south 

 of the Topora (Doborsa of the maps) country, and is about 3° 50' N. 

 by 34° 30' E. It might have been called the Topora (or Doborsa) 

 giraffe, but it was preferred to associate it with Lado as being a better 

 known locality, despite the fact that the latter is generally connected 

 with the Congo side of the Nile. This giraffe is apparently closely 

 related to the Baringo race, from which the male differs in the 

 following points : — 



The spots on the neck are deep chestnut-brown instead of black, 



