EXTERNAL FORM. 91 



a peculiar rugose enamel having much the appearance of 

 the skin of the common black slug, some naturalists 

 speak of the giraffe as a greatly modified deer. A certain 

 justification for this view is, indeed, to be found in the 

 circumstance that the liver of the giraffe, like that of the 

 deer, is usually devoid of a gall-bladder. Occasionally, 

 however, that appendage, which is so characteristic of the 

 hollow-horned ruminants, makes its appearance in the 

 giraffe, thus showing that no great importance can be 

 attached to it one way or another. On the other hand, in 

 certain parts of its soft anatomy, the creature under con- 

 sideration comes very much closer to the antelopes and 

 their kin than to the deer. It would appear, therefore, on 

 the whole, that the giraffe occupies a position midway 

 between the deer on the one hand and the antelopes on 

 the other ; while as neither of these three groups can be 

 regarded as the direct descendant of either of the other 

 two, it is clear that we must regard all three as divergent 

 branches from some ancient common stock. 



In general appearance, the giraffe is too well known 

 to require description, but attention may be directed 

 to a few of its more striking external peculiarities. One 

 remarkable feature is the total lack of the small lateral 

 or spurious hoofs, which are present in the great majority 

 of ruminants, and attain relatively large dimensions 

 in the reindeer and musk-deer. Indeed, the only other 

 members of the whole group in which these hoofs are 

 absent are certain antelopes ; but this absence cannot 

 be taken as an indication of any affinity between the 

 latter and the giraffe, since it is most probably the result 

 of independent development. Equally noticeable are the 

 large size and prominence of the liquid eyes, and the great 

 length of the extensile tongue ; the former being obviously 

 designed to give the creature the greatest possible range 

 of vision, while the extensibility of the latter enhances the 

 capability of reaching the foliage of tall trees afforded by 

 the lengthened limbs and neck. In comparison with the 

 slenderness of the neck, the head of the giraffe appears of 

 relatively large size ; but this bulk, which is probably 

 necessary to the proper working of the long tongue, is 



