200 EXPEDITION INTO 



the eyeS; which are soft and g-eiitle, eclipsing- those of the 

 oft-siino- g-azelle of the East; and being- so constructed^ that^ 

 without turning- the head^ the animal can see both before 

 and behind it at the same time. On the forehead there is 

 a remarkable prominence j and the tong-ue has the power 

 of mobility increased to an extraordinary degree^ accom- 

 panied with the faculty of extension, which enables it, in 

 miniature, to perform the office of the elephant's proboscis. 

 The lofty-maned neck, possessing* only seven joints, appears 

 to move on a pivot, instead of being- flexible like that of 

 the swan or peacock, to which, from its leng"th, it has been 

 likened. 



The giraffe utters no cry whatever. Both sexes have 

 horns, covered with hair, and are similarly marked with 

 an ang-ular and somewhat symmetrical pattern. The male 

 increases in depth of colour according* to the ag'e, and in 

 some specimens is nearly black • but the female is smaller 

 in stature, and of a lig-hter colour, approaching- to yellow. 

 Although very extensive, the rang-e of its habitat is exclu- 

 sively confined to those regions in which the species of 

 mimosa termed inokaala, or kameel-doorn, is abundant, the 

 leaves, shoots, and blossoms of that tree forming- its ordi- 

 nary food. 



On the 22nd, being* encamped on the banks of a small 

 stream, a camelopard was killed by a lion, whilst in the 

 act of drinking', at no g*reat distance from the wag*g*ons. 

 It was a noisy affair, but an inspection of the scene on 

 which it occurred, proved that the g'iant streng-th of the 

 victim had been paralysed in an instant. Authors have as- 

 serted that the king* of beasts is sometimes carried fifteen or 

 twenty miles, "riding* proudly" on the back of the g'iraffej 

 but notwithstanding' the amazing* and acknowledged power 

 of this superb animal, I am g*reatly disposed to question 

 his ability to maintain so long* a race under such merciless 

 jockey ship ! 



