IO8 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



Europe with no more trouble than is expended on 

 valuable cattle. 1 During the long period that has 

 elapsed since the Pasha of Egypt sent the first 

 living example to George IV., a considerable 

 amount of information has been collected regarding 

 the northern giraffe, from observations on captive 

 specimens : and now that the Soudan has been 

 re-opened, it seems probable that much more 

 material will be available. 



The following observations are based upon a 

 study of somewhat extensive material, consisting of 

 twelve living giraffes, augmented by examination 

 of various photographs from life of these and 

 other individuals, and by a study of six museum 

 specimens, the total number of animals thus 

 considered (including those represented by the 

 photographs) amounting to no less than twenty- 

 six individuals. 



The two-year-old bull has the third horn about 

 one inch long. In passing from youth to maturity, 

 the blotches on the hide grow darker, the pig- 

 mentation spreading from the centre to the 

 circumference, while the interspaces become lighter; 

 old cows are comparatively paler than old bulls. 

 In advanced age the darkening of the hide becomes 

 noticeable over a saddle-shaped area on the back ; 



l According to the late Sir Richard Owen, the horns of the young 

 giraffe are apparent before birth. It is born with the eyes open. The 

 young animal can stand two hours after birth, and can walk after ten 

 hours : when a day old, it begins to gambol, and can run well twelve 

 hours later. After three weeks it begins to take vegetable food. 



