HEIGHT OF THE GIRAFFE. 257 
The eye is deceived in supposing that the 
fore-legs of the Giraffe are longer than those 
behind. The real difference is in the height 
of the shoulders, as compared with that of 
the haunches. 
Besides the height of the shoulders, the 
peculiarity of this animal consists in the 
length of its neck, which it carries upright, 
and not incurvated, like the necks of the 
Camel and the Ostrich. An old description 
of a Giraffe, (or Jornufa,) received as a pre- 
sent in Armenia, asserts, that ‘‘ From the 
hoof of the fore-leg to the top of the shoul- 
der, it was sixteen hands high; and from 
the shoulders to the head, sixteen more.” 
Such are the exaggerations formerly re- 
ceived as to the size of the Giraffe. Buffon 
and Goldsmith speak of it as an animal so 
tall that ‘““a man on horseback could, with 
ease, ride under its belly without stooping ;” 
and this account is attempted to be justi- 
fied by the calculation, that ‘‘ as these crea- 
tures have been found eighteen feet high, 
and ten from the top of the shoulder, so, al- 
lowing three feet for the depth of the body, 
seven feet remain, which is high enough to 
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Zo 
