21 



The male GiraiFe, in both the Cape and Nubian varieties, has the 

 horns nearly twice as large as those of the female ; the expanded 

 bases of the homs also in the former, meet in the middle line of the 

 skull, but in the female the bases of the horns are at least two inches 

 apart. 



The nasal bone was bifurcate at its anterior extremity as in the 

 Deer, not simply pointed as in most of the Antelopes. 



With respect to the cervical vertebra of the Giraffe, Mr. Owen 

 observes, that they are not only remarkable for their great length, 

 but also, as has been recently shown by Dr. Blainville, for the ball and 

 socket form of the articulations of their bodies ; the convexity being 

 on the anterior extremity, and the concavity posteriorly, agreeing 

 in this particular with the vertebra of the Camel. 



The axis was joined to the atlas by the anterior extremity of its 

 body and the jirocessus dentatus, which were blended in one common 

 articulation, and inclosed in one capsular ligament. The spinous 

 process of the axis was developed from the whole longitudinal ex- 

 tent of the superior arch, but had a very sUght elevation. In the 

 rest of the cervical vertebra, the spinous processes were thin trian- 

 gular lamina, their apices rising about an inch and a half from a 

 broad base resting upon the middle of the superior arch. Processes, 

 analogous to the inferior transverse processes in the Crocodile, ex- 

 tended downwards and outwards from the lower part of the anterior 

 extremity of each of the cervical vertebra (except the atlas and den- 

 tata), but of much smaller size than the corresponding processes in 

 the Camel. 



The perforations for the vertebral arteries were large, and present 

 in the seventh as well as in the rest of the cervical vertebra ; they were 

 situated above the transverse processes in the side of the bodies of 

 the vertebra at the base of the superior lamina. Mr. Owen observes, 

 that although this position of the arterial foramina is somewhat pe- 

 culiar, yet, in this respect, the Giraffe comes nearer the horned 

 Ruminants than the long-necked Camelida. 



In viewing the vertebral column of the Giraffe from above, the 

 cervical vertebra are seen to present the broadest bodies ; of these 

 the third and fourth are the narrowest and longest, the rest gradually 

 increasing in breadth and diminishing in length to the seventh : the 

 dorsal vertebra thence grow narrower to the ninth, after which the 

 vertebra increase in breadth chiefly by the progressive development 

 of the transverse processes. 



The sacrum consisted of four vertebra anchylosed together, but of 

 these only the first articulated with the ilium. 



Mr. Owen gives the following as the vertebral formula of the 

 Giraffe. 



Cervical 7 



Dorsal 14 



Lumbar 5 



Sacral 4 



Caudal 20 



