NETTED GIRAFFE 



development of that of the Nubian race of the 

 ordinary species. It is found as far north as SomaH- 

 land and inhabits the Lake Rudolf district and the 

 northern parts of British East Africa. The bulls 

 have a dark liver-coloured coat, divided into irresfu- 

 larly shaped, but generally quadrangular patches, by 

 a network of coarse white lines. On the head itself 

 the marking changes to round chestnut spots on a 

 yellow ground, but the back of the ears and the lower 

 part of the legs below the knees are white. In some 

 cases the sides of the face are also white. The cows, 

 however, are of a paler hue, the general colour being 

 more of a creamy brown. The centres of the dark 

 liver-coloured patches are often almost black, but in a 

 few animals the centres are white or yellowish white. 

 I have in my possession the skin of a very young 

 Somali giraffe that had been killed by a leopard, 

 which shows very clearly this peculiarity, the centres 

 of the dark patches, especially round the withers, 

 being white and star-shaped. In young animals of 

 both sexes the colour is a pale fawn. The unpaired 

 horn on the forehead is moderately developed and 

 the two anterior are very small. The young have 

 dark tufts of hair where the horns subsequently grow. 

 Although somewhat narrow, the ears are moderately 

 large ; the muzzle is broad and hairy with long slit- 

 like nostrils, while the tongue is long and extensile. 

 The neck and withers are maned, and the tail is long 

 and covered with coarse black hairs. When giraffes 

 are running they nearly always carry their tails twisted 

 up above their backs, a habit that adds to their some- 

 what quaint and ungainly appearance. In spite of 

 their enormous length of neck, they are unable to 

 drink without straddling their front legs wide apart, 



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