ON THE NORTH RHODESIAN GIRAFFE, 771 



45. The North RlioJesian Giraffe. 

 By R. Lydekkek, F.R.S., F.Z.S.* 



[Received April 25, 1912 : Read June 4, 1912.] 



(Plate LXXXYI. f) 



Index. 



Page 



Rhodesia, Giraffe of 771 



Griraffa camelopardalis thoi'nicrofti, Description of ... 771 



On the 20th of October, 1910, the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) 

 received from Mr. H. Thornicroft, Native Commissioner, Petauke, 

 North-east Rhodesia, the skin, skull, and limb-bones of an adult 

 male Girafle shot by himself in tiiat district. Mr. Thornicroft 

 had previously called on me in London, and expressed his willing- 

 ness to shoot and present to the Museum a Giraffe from the 

 single herd in this part of Rhodesia, if the necessary permit could 

 be obtained. This was in due course procured, and was followed, 

 after an interval, by the arrival of the above-mentioned skin and 

 bones. 



The skin was soon after wads set up by Rowland Ward Ltd., 

 and the mounted specimen placed in the big case at the head of 

 the staircase leading to the East Corridor of the Museum, along- 

 side the male and female of the East African Giraffa camelo- 

 pardcdls rothschildi. As it is mounted with the neck bent, it is 

 difficult to ascertain the exact height, but I estimate this at close 

 on 18 feet, or possibly rather more. 



When the specimen was installed in its case, it became essential 

 that it should receive a distinctive name ; and I accordingly 

 communicated the following preliminary note to ' Nature' J : — 



" Tills Giraffe is charactei'ised by the low and conical frontal 

 horn, the grey colour and scattered spotting of the sides of the 

 face, the chestnut-brown forehead, deepening into black on the 

 tips of the horns, the absence of a distinctly stellate pattern in 

 the neck and body spots, which are light brown on a yellowish 

 fawn ground, and the uniformly tawny colour of the lower portion 

 of the limbs. This Giraffe, Avhich I propose to call Giraffa 

 camelopardalls thornicrofti, appears to be related to the Kiliman- 

 jaro G. c. tijjpelskirchi, but diflers by the more compact frontal 

 horn, the brown, in place of grey, forehead, and the uniformly 

 fawn lower part of the legs, the latter being whitish in adult 

 bulls [of tijyjjelskirchi], but fawn and spotted in cows and young 

 bulls." 



The last statement rests on the authority of Messrs. M. de 



* Published bj^ permission of the Trustees of the British Museum. 

 t For explanation of the Plate see p. 773. 

 j Vol. Ixxxvii. p. 484 (1911). 



