^12 On the Giroffe of Somaliland. 



The specimen figured in the P. Z. S. 1897, p. 280, as 

 typical of the northern form is found to be very distinct from 

 the true Giroffa comelofardalis from Senaar and the adjacent 

 countries, and in reality to be a strikingly different animal, 

 which I consider well worthy of a separate name. 



The first specimen known to science was that referred to in 

 P. Z. S. 1894, p. 135, collected by Major C. E. W. Wood 

 and Capt. M. B. Ffinch in Somaliland, which was brought 

 to the notice of Mr. O. Thomas by Messrs. Rowland Ward, 

 of Piccadilly. 



Dr. Donaldson Smith obtained the second, the head of 

 which is now mounted in the Academy of Natural Science, 

 Philadelphia, U.S.A. Then came Mr. Arthur Neumann, who 

 discovered this animal in the Loroghi j\lountains ; he was 

 the first collector to bring home fully adult specimens, 

 together with younger animals, and to direct attention to 

 the peculiarity of this form. Since then numerous specimens 

 have been received, among others from Mr. Cavendish and 

 Mr. Andrew ; and quite lately Lord Delamere has brought 

 home a fine series, some of which, notably a fine head and 

 neck mounted, have been presented to the National Collection. 



Excepting for the white ears and legs below the knees 

 and hocks, and the spotted head and upper neck, this Somali- 

 land giraflPe might be described as a liver-red animal with a 

 coarse network of narrow white lines dividing the body-colour 

 into large sharply defined patches ; there is none of the paler 

 blotched marking of the typical form from the Nile Valley. 



Original accounts of this giraflfe, written by various 

 sportsmen, also extremely interesting photographs by Lord 

 Delamere of the animal in its native haunts, will be found 

 in Messrs. Rowland Ward's fine new book, * The Great and 

 Small Game of Africa.' The view of giraffes feeding, on 

 p. 493, shows how marvellously the markings on the hide of 

 the animals correspond with the mottling of light and shade 

 in the mimosa-forest. 



All the specimens received have been so uniform in colora- 

 tion and pattern of marking that there can be no doubt that 

 the Somaliland giraffe is a well-defined local race, and I 

 propose provisionally to connect it with the northern form as 

 a subsp( cies, giving it the name of Giroffa camelopardalis 

 reticulata, and taking as the type Mr. Arthur Neumann's 

 specimen no. 97. 1. ^iO. 1 (skull, scalp, and piece of neck- 

 skin) in the British Museum, figured in the P. Z. S. 1897, 

 p. 280. 



