IIO NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



he dissected in 1838, and Col. Gordon in the 

 supplement to the seventh volume of Buffon's 

 Natural History records a similar case probably 

 in the southern species. According to Dr. Crisp, 

 the liver and spleen of G. c ante lop ar da Us is 

 frequently infested with parasitic acephalocysts, 

 the size of a hen's egg : various cysticerci and 

 cercariae attack these huge animals, and giraffes 

 may also be the hosts of liver flukes (Fasciola 

 gigantea) allied to the flukes which infest sheep. 



But little appears to have been recorded of the 

 habits of G. camelopardalis as distinct from G. 

 capensis : for though every work on African 

 hunting contains reference to giraffes, these almost 

 invariably deal with the southern and not the 

 northern species. Until within the last few years, 

 indeed, few Europeans, save Dr. Riippell and 

 Sir Samuel Baker, appear to have had any field 

 experience of G. camelopardalis: such observa- 

 tions as have been recorded demonstrate, however, 

 that in habits it resembles G. capensis, wandering 

 about in troops in open bush country, browsing on 

 the tall tops of the mimosas, and going for 

 long periods without drinking. Ever alert and 

 watchful, the northern giraffe when feeding is 

 further protected from danger by its singular 

 coloration, for the blotched hides of a troop 

 standing in a mimosa grove will effectually screen 

 them from observation, by harmonising with the 



