THE CREATURE GOD FORGOT 169 



this display of his imagination. Further, reports 

 of the species had been so exaggerated that much 

 excitement was caused throughout Europe by the 

 passage of the animals. It is commonly believed 

 that the average giraffe was "so huge that a man on 

 horseback could pass uprighte under him." And that 

 he fed on the leaves of the highest trees. 



The next shipment north of giraffes was not imtil 

 1836. This comprised foiu- animals and was an out- 

 standing event in the natural history of that day. 

 The quartette was led through the streets of the city 

 of London by attendants especially trained for the 

 task. Nubians in Abyssinian costume lodged the ani- 

 mals in their quarters in Regent's Park. Besides the 

 guiding natives a whole retinue of servants brought 

 up the entotirage. Accoimts of the performance are 

 staidly himiorous in dealing with those citizens who 

 imexpectedly sighted the great beasts through eyes 

 dimmed by recent dissipation. 



It is ctuious that of all the African animals there 

 are fewer anecdotes and adventures extant about the 

 giraffe than about any other denizen of that wild 

 coimtry. No doubt this fact is as good a tribute as 

 any to the giraffe's virtue in neither meddling in 

 another's business nor in loving combat the way so 

 many of the animals seem to. 



Some tribes of African natives used to claim that a 

 giraffe often sleeps with its head high in the crotch 



