118 INITIATIVE IN EVOLUTION 



protection against enemies and the supply of food from high-placed 

 branches of trees, it forms a real obstacle to the less important need 

 of obtaining water to drink or food from the ground as Selous and 

 Lydekker show. The protective value of the neck is picturesquely 

 described by Mr. Beddard when he speaks of it as the giraffe's 

 watch-tower, whence its keen eyesight surveys the surrounding 

 country for its enemies. But its attitude in drinking, Fig. 44, 

 gives a vivid idea of the play of forces which takes place at the 

 great hinge between the neck and the trunk, and at this point the 

 whorl has been produced on the skin in the course of its laborious 

 efforts to supply itself with water. The absence of any other whorl 

 or reversed hair on the whole of its neck and trunk is most significant 

 from the point of view of the dynamics of hair. 



The second departure from the normal direction of hair is 

 found on the prominent portion of the spine, and it lies over this 

 hinge-area. In Fig. 44 is shown the mane proceeding along the 

 whole of the neck in the normal downward direction, and the 

 arrows indicate the way in which it becomes suddenly reversed at 

 the critical point and the lowest portion of the mane stands up and 

 points upwards. This change is shown by the two arrows whose 

 points meet one another, and the facts of its occurrence, here and 

 nowhere else, at once suggest that the habit which produced the 

 whorl on the side of the neck has also contributed to the change 

 in the direction of the mane. The pattern here is precisely of the 

 same order as that of the cow's neck which we saw to be caused 

 by its habit of browsing off the ground. 



Bongo — Tragelaphus euryceros. 

 This West African antelope is a forest-dwelling species, about 

 which little is known as to its habit of life, though its form and 

 anatomy are well described by Lydekker. It has a powerful chest, 

 long and strong horns, and short hoofs, and it is shown in Fig. 45 

 with its large pectoral whorl, feathering and crest, in which it 

 strongly resembles the domestic horse. One may be allowed here, 

 as exact knowledge is wanting, to point out that " reconstruction " 

 of its habits may be reasonably attempted along the lines laid down 

 in these pages. It is doubtful if any large mammal could possess 

 so powerful a fore-end with very muscular forelimbs, highly- 

 developed pectoral patterns and short strong hoofs without being a 

 very fleet animal much accustomed to relying upon its speed for 

 its protection, and if a greater knowledge of it be obtained in the 

 future it is highly probable that this prediction will be verified. 

 Part of its habitat is described as the Ashkankolu Mountains, a 

 region where speed would be of great value. 



