

THE LATE MR. BARTLETT 



in the remains of extinct animals were similar ceme- 

 teries. 



THE CAMELOPARD 



To term this animal the " camel leopard/ 1 as is 

 sometimes done, is a grave misreading of the derivation 

 of the word, which implies of course a combination of 

 the camel and the pard, as Horace says, " Diversum 

 confusa genus panthera camelo." Leopard itself is 

 another such " portmanteau " word. For it in its 

 turn implied a kind of hybrid between the lion and the 

 pard. To the ancients such monsters were not in- 

 credible. We know that animals so remote will not 

 breed together. The Romans apparently first knew 

 the giraffe from examples exhibited in the days of 

 Julius Caesar. Pliny, who is responsible for this piece 

 of information, also thought the giraffe as mild as a 

 sheep in disposition. It is rather timid and nervous 

 than mild. The least surprise frightens it greatly ; 

 and the late Mr. A. D. Bartlett informed the present 

 writer that he never thought of suddenly appearing 

 in the giraffe house without giving previous warning 

 by shuffling of feet and other less terrifying and intro- 

 ductory noises, lest the giraffes should bolt and break 

 their legs. It is not mild, for it will kick and try to bite. 

 At one time the Zoological Society were as successful 

 in breeding giraffe as the Dublin Zoo are now in breeding 

 lions. In 1836 the first specimens arrived at the Zoo 

 at five o'clock in the morning, as witnessed by the 

 late Sir Richard Owen. They were conducted thither 

 from Blackwall by M. Thibaud and four Africans " in 

 native costume," and for about sixty years the stock 

 of giraffes derived from these and from others acquired 

 subsequently flourished exceedingly. Then they died 

 out, and the Mahdi appeared upon the scenes, effectu- 

 ally preventing for some time the importation of other 

 Z.G. Si G 



