34 HISTORY OF THE CAMELEOPARD. 



the object with a considerable degree of pliability, using it 

 as a prehensile organ, and one beautifully fitted as an acces- 

 sary to the other parts of its structure. The perfection of 

 its form enables it to reach the exalted branches, which are 

 uncropped, from being above the height of ordinary animals ; 

 and, on the other hand, a shorter neck would not have 

 allowed it easily to reach the earth, in districts where wood 

 was more unfrequent. Its pace is an amble, and, when 

 put in motion, it is capable of considerable speed, accord- 

 ing to Major Denham, such as to keep a horse at a pretty 

 smart gallop. It occasionally falls a prey to the lion, the 

 only beast of prey which dares to attack it; but the power- 

 ful strokes of both the fore and hind feet are sometimes an 

 equal match in open combat. The height of the Giraffe is 

 from fifteen to twenty-one feet. The general color is yel- 

 lowish-white, patched over with large square and irregu- 

 larly formed spots, of a yellowish-brown or fawn color, 

 divided from each other by a narrow stripe of the 

 pale brown color, and represented among the antelopes 

 by the appearance of the Tragelaphus scripta, and one 

 or two others. The head isadorned with three pro- 

 longations of the bone, .two of which, in the usual place 

 of horns, are generally described as such. They are 

 covered with a velvety skin similar to those of the de- 

 ciduous horned deer at their first growth, out which does 

 not fall off, and at the tip they are surmounted by some 

 strong bristly hairs. In the adult, the internal structure is 

 hard and solid ; but in the young, GeofFroy St Hilaire 

 observed the appearance of a cellular centre, nourished by 

 vessels. The third protuberance is in the centre of the 

 skull, and appears as a rounded knob, and is of a very 

 spongy texture. The Cameleopard was seen by Denham 

 and Clapperton in parties of five or six on the borders of 

 Lake Tchad, and also met with and described by Rnppcl 

 in his Travels in North Africa ; while those of the south are 



