: .- 



GtKAKFA. 



OIK. Ml 'A. 



i H 



UM reader may be referred to the 'Zoography' of Wood, and especially 

 to Shaw'* ' Zoology,' for the information there collected. 



Curier, in the fir-t edition of hi ' Regnc Animal,' (1817), speaks 

 of the Giraffe, Cuaieiuixinlalit, as having fur its characters couical 

 persistent horns in both sexes, covered with a hairy akin, aud as 

 being one of the mo.it remarkable animal* on account of the length 

 of iU neck, the disproportioned length of the fore leg*, the osseous 

 tubercle on the chanfrein, Ac., but dismisses it with a very brief 

 notice. He place* it between the Deer (CVn-iu) aud the Antelopes 



Major (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Hamilton Smith, who has devoted 

 so much attention to the Cervine and Antclopine groups, observes 

 that the Giraffe stands isolated among the Ruminating animals in 

 family, genus, aud even species : iU character*, he remarks, offer a 

 mixture of several genera; among which the followers of the 

 quinary system may select whether to class it, with llliger, among 

 Cameline, or, with other naturalists, amongst Cervine or Antelopine 

 animals. The same zoologist points out its assimilation with the 

 camels by the length of the neck, the callosities on the sternum and 

 knees, and the want of spurious hoofs, on approximation so obvious 

 that it did not escape the notice of the ancients ; but, he adds, that 

 the pediiuculated form of the frontal process, in the shape of horns, 

 recalls that character in the Muntjak Deer, while the stiff hairs which 

 crown their summits seem to want only the gluten to cement them 

 into true horns and embody it in systematic arrangement with the 

 Caricoruia. From a comparison of the characters which Colonel 

 Smith institutes, he thinks that the Giraffe appears most naturally 

 placed immediately after the Muntjaks, and before the family of 

 Caricomia, or those Ruminants which arc distinguished by the 

 possession of true horns. 



M. Lesson, in his 'Manuel' (1827), places the Camelopardinees 

 between the Cervules (CVrriw Muntjak, (Virtu moschux or motchattu, 

 and Cerria lubcoraultu) and the Tubicornes (Antelopes, &c.). 



CuTier, in his last edition of the ' Regne Animal' (1829), appears 

 to take the same view of the case as Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, for he 

 there places the Giraffe between the Muntjak and the Ruminants a 

 Cornet Creuaes, the first genus of which is AntUope. The character 

 assigned to the genus in this edition differs somewhat from that given 

 in the former one, for Curier, who seems to have been acquainted with 

 Dr. Riippell's interesting memoir above alluded to, adds that the bony 

 core (noyau osseux) of the boms is articulated in youth upon the os 

 frontis by a suture, and that in the middle of the chanfrein is a 

 tubercle or third horn, larger and much shorter, but equally articulated 

 by a suture. He still keeps the observation as to the disproportioned 



height of the fore legs. 

 Fischer, in his ' Syn 



Synopsis,' introduces the Giraffe (Camelopanlalu] 

 between CVrriu (Ctrrut (luitutntit, Linn., C. minuttu, Bloinv.) and 

 Antilvpe (A. ccrricapra). He notices the opinion of M. Geoffroy, thai 

 the Giraffe of Senaar differs in species from that of the Cape, and he 

 allude* to the following names of the animal: Jiratalla Amhar, 

 Deba of the .Ethiopians ; Naip of the Hottentots ; Impatoo of the 



r. I n !'.-. 



Mr. Swainson, 'Classification of Quadrupeds' (1835), appeals to the 

 opinion and views of Colonel Smith, as confirming the station assignee 

 to the Camtlopardir, in his tabular exposition of the families of 

 Ruminants, namely : 



Tribe Jluminanln. The Ruminating Quadrupeds. 



O M l. Awnliul T JI!!A A|A. In.. [AfttUOpWUXt AntClOpCS 



Duo-iypicai. ^ cue, sienuer. 



Typical. \ heavy; robust / 



(Horns solid, deciduous. C'rrvidtt. Stags. 



Horns wanting; fore legs 1 Un . , \r,,.v. 



..,. -v-_ uT7*v- i.:_j-r 



Group. 



(Horns solid, deciduous. 

 Horns wanting; fore legs 1 

 shorter than the hinder / 

 Hon ve^hort, covered J Camtlopanla . Giraff( ^ 



The following in Mr. Swainson's definition of his family Camelo- 

 panlir :" Frontal processes (in both sexes) prolonged in the shape o 

 horns, covered with hairy skin, which is continued from the scalp, am 

 terminated by long hard bristles." " UamelopardaUi, Ant, cutting 



1 1 f 



teeth, _ ; canine none ; grinders, -' . Head long ; upper lip entire 



8 8 



lacbrymary linu* wanting ; neck enormously long, with a ihort mane 

 the anterior parts much elevated; back sloping; legs slender, the 

 hinder ones shortest ; tail tufted. _'. Sp. Africa. 1. 6'. anlv/uorvm 

 8w., Northern Giraffe. 2. C. auttralii, Sw., South African Giraffe 

 The ruminants are united by this genim ami CametiutntheSolipeilet.' 

 The family i* accordingly placed in this part of the work, between thi 

 .Vfifhulie and the tribe Solipedtt (single-hoofed quadrupeds), the firs 

 genus of which, in Mr. Swainson's arrangement, is C'amtltu. Mr. Swain 

 son adds, that there seam* good reason for believing that a thin 

 specie* of Giraffe exists in the interior of Africa. 



In December 1836 Mr. Ogilby divided the Kuminantut into the fnl 

 lowing families : 1, C'am'liilir; 2, Utrtitlil; 3, Motrhidat; 4, Cain-id,, 

 H, Jivridtr. The genus Camtlopardalii is placed by this zoologist, to 

 whom we arc indebted for much and valuable information coucernin 

 the Ruminant*, as the first of the CVrridVr, with the following charac- 



ters : Horns, in both sexes, persistent (perennia), simple, c<> 

 ith skin. Klmmrm, none, Lachrymal sinuses, none. InU-r 



bun, small. Inguinal folliculi, none. Teats, four. Two speci> 



recorded under the name* of I'. .Ktlaupuut an 

 ther genera admitted by Mr. Ogilby into the family Ccrridce are 

 ''itrandut, Alert, Cti-vui, Caprcr, and Pros. 

 The main result of Professor Owen's observations (1838) is to agree 



with Cuvier in placing Camclopardalii between Certiu and Ant Hope, 



and he thinks somewhat nearer the deer. He finds that the organ* 

 f relation are those chiefly modified in correspondence with the 

 Kxtiliar geographical position and habits of the Giraffe, the organs of 

 utrition differing but little from those of other horned Ruminant*. 

 Dr. Gray places his tribe Giraffiita after the Jivvuta and before the 

 ,'crrina, in the order L'nglata. 



We must now trace the reappearance of the living animal in Europe, 

 i. Lesson states that the first were an offering by the Prince of 

 Damascus to the emperor Frederick II., and described by Albert us 

 itaguus, under the name of Sercph and Anabula. The author of tin- 

 Menageries' remarks that, till the year 1827, when a Giraffe arrival 

 n England and another in France, the animal had not been seen in 

 Jurope since the end of the 15th century, when the Soldon of Kgypt 



sent one to Lorenzo de' Medici. This individual was represented in 

 ,he frescoes at Poggio Acajano, a villa belonging to the grand duko of 



Tuscany, between Florence and Prato. It was, the author odds, very 

 amiliar with the inhabitants in the former city, living on the fruit* 



of the country, particularly apples, and stretching up its long neck to 

 ,he first-floors of the h mses to implore a meal. Of the comparatively 

 ate arrivals, another was at Venice in 1828, and a fourth was sent to 



Constantinople, but died there. These animals, according to the same 

 authority, were all presents from the Pasha of Egypt The Giraffe 

 sent to the French menagerie did well : that presented at the same 

 time to George IV. was the shortest and weakest [The consuls of 

 each nation drew lots for the choice.] She wag never in good health 

 and had been roughly treated, and though sue had grown 18 inches 

 up to June 1829, she sank gradually and died in the autumn of 

 that year. 



The Zoological Society of London had entered into a contract for 

 the purchase of Giraffes, and in 1836 four of these animals (three 

 males and one female) were safely brought from the south-west of 

 Kordofan, where they were captured, to the gardens of the society at 

 the Regent's Park. The following account of the capture of these 

 animals is given by the author of ' Zoological Anecdotes :' 



" M. Thibaut quitted Cairo in April 1834, and after sailing up the 

 Nile as far as Wadi Haifa, the second cataract, took camels and pro- 

 ceeded to Debbat, a province of Dongolah, whence he started for the 

 desert of Kordofan. 



" Being perfectly acquainted with the locality, aud on friendly terms 

 with the Arabs, he attached them still more by the desire of profit 

 All were desirous of accompanying him in the pursuit of the giraffes, 

 for up to that time they had treated them solely for the sake of their 

 flesh, which they ate, aud the skin, of which they made bucklers and 

 sandals. The party proceeded to the south-west of Kordofan, ami in 

 August were rewarded by the sight of two beautiful giraffes ; a rapid 

 chase of three hours, on horses accustomed to the fatigues of the 

 desert, put them in possession of the largest of these noble animals ; 

 unable to take her alive, the Arabs killed her with blows of the sabre, 

 and cutting her to pieces, carried the meat to their head-quarters, 

 which had been established in a wooded situation an arrangement 

 necessary for their own comfort, and to secure pasturage for their 

 camels. They deferred till the following day the purxnit of tin- 

 motherless young one, knowing they would have no difficulty in again 

 discovering it. The Arabs quickly covered the live embers with slices 

 of the meat, which M. Thibaut pronounces to be excellent 



" On the following morning the party started at daybreak in search 

 of the young giraffe, of which they had lost sight not far from the 

 camp. The sandy desert is well adapted to afford indications to a 

 hunter, and in a very short time they were on the track of the object 

 of their pursuit ; they followed the traces with rapidity and in silence 

 lest the creature should be alarmed whilst yet at a distance; but 

 after a laborious chase of several hours through brambles and thorny 

 trees, they at last succeeded in capturing the covet, i pii/.-. It was 

 now necessary to rest for three or four days, in order to render the 

 giraffe sufficiently tame; during which period nn Arab constantly 

 held it at the end of a long cord ; by degrees it became accustomed 

 to the presence of man, aud was induced to take nourishment, but it 

 was found necessary to insert a finger into its mouth to deceive it 

 into the idea that it was with its dam ; it then sucked freely. When 

 captured iU age was about nineteen months. Five gir.iH - . n- 

 taken by the party, but the cold weather of December 1S.'U killed 

 four of them in the desert on the route to Dongolah ; happily that first 

 taken survived, and reached Dougolah in January 1835, after a sojourn 

 of twenty-two days in the desert 



" I 'nwillhig to leave with a solitary specimen, M. Thibaut ret urn, ,1 

 to the desert, where he remained three months, crossing it in all 

 directions, and frequently exposed to great hardships and privations ; 

 but he was eventually rewarded by obtaining three giraffes, all smaller 

 than the first A great trial awaited them, as they had to proceed by 

 water the whole distance from Wadi Haifa to Cairo, and thence to 



