In Wildest Africa ^ 



A fine stuffed specimen of these beautifully coloured giraffes 

 is to be found in the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfort- 

 on-Maine. An illustration gives the head of a giraffe killed 

 by my late friend, and proves to the reader how much the 

 two species differ — namely the South Somaliland giraffe as 

 here depicted/ and that which I was the first to discover 

 in Masailand. We have in Erlanger's diary and in this 

 illustration the only existing information about the presence 

 of the giraffe in South Somaliland, a region which none 

 but my daring friend and his companions have so far 

 traversed. 



Hilgert, Carlo von Erlanger's companion, mentions the 

 frequent presence of the South Somali giraffe, but says that 

 they showed themselves so shy that the members of the 

 expedition generally had to content themselves with the 

 numerous tracks of the animals or with the sight of them 

 in the far distance. 



Meanwhile an effort is being made to save and protect 

 what remains of the giraffe species in Africa. But there is 

 little hope of ultimate success. I do trust, however, that a 

 wealth of observations, illustrations, and specimens may be 

 secured for our museums before it is too late. In this way, 

 at least, a source of pleasure and information will be pro- 

 vided for future generations, and the giraffe will not share 

 the fate of so many other rare creatures which no gold will 

 ever give back to us. 



With sad, melancholy, wondering eyes the giraffe seems 

 to peer into the world of the present, where there is room 

 for it no longer. Whoever has seen the expression in 



^ Giraffa reticulata de Winton and Giraffa schiili?igsi, Mtsch. 



