MAMMALIA—CAMELOPARD. 351 
THE GIRAFFE, OR CAMELOPARDi 
= i Ca =| 
nec Bem Oa 
Is one of the tallest, most beautiful, and most harmless animals in nature. 
The enorinous disproportion of its legs, (the fore legs being as long again as 
the hinder ones,) is a great obstacle to the use of its strength. Its motion 
is waddling and stiff; it can neither fly from its enemies in its free state, 
nor serve its master in a domestic one. The species is not very numerous, 
and has always been confined to the central and southern parts of Africa. 
M. le Vaillant, the first naturalist who had an opportunity of closely 
examining the giraffe, gives a full and accurate description of it in his 
Travels. “The giraffe chews the cud, as all horned animals with cloven 
feet do. Like them, too, itcrops the grass; though seldom, because pas- 
ture is scarce in the country which it inhabits. Its ordinary food is the leaf 
of a sort of mimosa, called by the natives kaneap, and by the planters kamel 
doorn. The tree being peculiar to the canton, and growing only there, this 
may be the reason why it takes up its abode in it, and why it is not seen in 
those regions of the south of Africa where the tree does not grow. This, 
however, is but a vague conjecture, and which the reports of the ancients 
seem to contradict. 
“is bead is unquestionably the most beautiful part of its body. Its mouth 
is small; its eyes large and animated. Between the eyes, and above the 
nuse, it has a very distinct and prominent tubercle. This is nota fleshy 
1 Camelopardalis giraffa, Desm. This is the only animal of the genus. It has eight 
Jower and no upper incisor: ; no canines; six upper and six lower molars on each side. 
Head very long, with a bony tubercle on the forehead, and two osseous peduncles covered 
with skin, and hairy, terminated by a tuft of bristles; upper lip entire; no lachrymal 
sinuses ; ears pointed; tongue rough, with comeous papille; eyes large; neck extremely 
Icng; w thers mwzh elevated; legs slender; a callosity on the sternum; four mamme. 
