9) Animal Life 
one best adapted to the giraffe’s towering 
height, or whether it is a feature common 
to all the members of the group, cannot 
be determined until we are acquainted 
with the gait of the okapi. It is, 
however, noteworthy that the humerus, 
or upper bone of the fore-leg, of all 
members of the giraffe family differs 
somewhat in structure from that of 
other ruminants, thereby implying a 
difference in the muscles. And it 
is possible that these differences may 
be correlated with the ambling gait 
of the giraffe. In galloping, giraffes 
display an altogether peculiar move- 
ment, bringing the two  hind-feet 
simultaneously i advance of the front 
pair—of course, on the outer side of 
the latter. Apparently the two front feet are moved together, as are also the two hind 
ones, in this very remarkable kind of gallop; but it is by no 
means easy to decide whether this is really the case merely 
by watching the animals. 
Like giraffes, camels when walking and trotting move the 
two limbs of each side together (Fig. 15); if not unduly 
pressed, a good riding-camel will keep up its favourite jog-trot 
for eight or ten hours at a stretch, and will do this day after 
day, frequently covering from 80 to 90, or even 100, miles 
in 12 hours. With the nature of a camel's gallop I am 
unacquainted, but I believe that these animals cannot jump. 
On smooth and wet inclined roads they are quite helpless, 
owing to the cushion-like nature of the soles of their feet. 
The limbs of a camel differ somewhat in structure, both 
externally and internally, from those of the typical ruminants, the thigh being more 
free from the side of the body; it is therefore not to be wondered at that their 
movements are different from those of the majority of the latter. 
Before leaving the subject of the gait of ruminants, it should be mentioned that 
many of the lghter-built species of this group, whose ordinary gait is of the diagonal 
type, frequently commence their progress by a series of bounds. This is specially 
noticeable in the case of the African springbok and the Indian blackbuck (Fig. 16), 
as well as in gazelles and some of the smaller kinds of deer, springbok repeating 
this movement from time to time throughout their progress. The little oriental 
chevrotains, or mouse-deer, run with a peculiar mincing gait on the tips of their toes 
(Fig. 17), much the same kind of movement being characteristic of the tropical American 
rodents known as agutis. Limits of space do not admit of allusion in detail to the 
important difference in the gait of mammals according as to whether 
they walk on their toes or on the soles of thei feet—in other words, 
whether they are digitigrade or plantigrade. It must suffice to state 
that horses and dogs afford typical examples of the former mode of 
progression, and bears (Fig. 18) and badgers of the latter. All 
mammals made for great speed are digitigrade. 
Neither can much be said with regard to the locomotion of the 
