166 Quadrupeds. 



slender ; and, notwithstanding the length of the neck, 

 it manifests great difficulty in taking anything from the 

 ground. To do this, it puts out first one foot, and then 

 the other ; repeating the same process several times ; and 

 it is only after several of these experiments that it at 

 length bends down its neck, and applies its lips and 

 tongue to the object in question. In fact, the neck of 

 the Giraffe, although so enormousty long, is not very 

 flexible, as it contains only the same number of vertebrae 

 or joints (seven) that is found in other quadrupeds with 

 a much shorter neck ; it is admirably adapted for 

 enabling the animal to browse upon the branches of 

 trees, but is not intended to fit it for grazing. It 

 willingly accepts fruit and branches of a tree when 

 offered to it ; and seizes the foliage in a most singular 

 manner, thrusting forth a long, reddish, and very nar- 

 row tongue, which it rolls round whatever it wishes to 

 secure. Indeed, the tongue is a most remarkable organ 

 in this animal, and we have been witness of some amus- 

 ing exploits with it. In the Zoological Gardens at 

 Regent's Park, many a fair lady has been robbed of the 

 artificial flowers which have adorned her bonnet, by 

 the nimble, filching tongue of the rare object of her 

 admiration. 



The Giraffe is a native of Africa; and it was for a 

 long time known only by the descriptions of travellers. 

 It was first sent to Europe in 1829 ; but since that time 

 many have been introduced, and several young ones 

 have been born in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's 

 Park. 



Le Vaillant, in his entertaining Travels in Africa, gives 

 an animated account of a Giraffe hunt : " After several 

 hours' fatigue, we discovered, at the turn of a hill, seven 

 Giraffes, which my pack instantly pursued. Six of them 

 went off together ; but the seventh, cut off by my dogs, 

 took another way. I followed it at full speed, but, in 

 spite of the efforts of my horse, she got so much ahead 

 of me that, in turning a little hill, I lost sight of her 

 altogether. My dogs, however, were not so easily put 

 out. They were soon so close upon her, that she was 

 obliged to stop to defend herself. From the place where 



