212 MR. R. LYDEKKER ON THE [Feb. 2, 



type, I attribute, therefore, these differences to individual varia- 

 tion and age, as I likewise do the more pronounced development 

 of the posterior horns. As already mentioned, some of the bulls 

 of this race, according to Major Powell-Cotton, show a protu- 

 berance above the left eye. I am informed by the same gentleman 

 that some full-grown bulls are decidedly lighter than the type, 

 and exhibit more distinctly star-like and irregular spots. 



"When I described the type male I was of opinion that the 

 mounted female in the British Museum, killed by Major Powell- 

 Cotton near Lake Baringo, belonged to a distinct race. I am 

 told, however, by him that bulls precisely similar to the type 

 Quashengeshu specimen occur with the Lake Baringo herd ; and 

 this statement is fully confirmed by a male skin from that district 

 I have had the opportunity of inspecting. The marked dis- 

 crepancy in the coloration of the two sexes is therefoi-e a very 

 distinctive feature of this race of Gii-affe at this age. 



Sir Harry Johnston (to whom I am indebted for permission to 

 reproduce this illustration) tells me that the individual from which 

 the sketch was taken was a young animal, and that the mounted 

 head in the Museum is, as I have surmised, that of a very old 

 bull ; the darker colour and disappearance of the spots in the 

 latter thus being due to age. 



Sir H. Johnston further informs me that a very aged female, 

 shot in the same district by his assistant, the late Mr. Doggett, 

 was remarkable for its exceedingly dark colour. So dark, indeed, 

 was this animal, that at a distaiace it apj)eared quite a uniform 

 sepia-tint. This indicates that the mounted female in the Museum, 

 although fall-grown, is a comparatively young animal. When 

 seen thi'ough field-glasses by Sir H. Johnston's party, both males 

 and females of this race of Giraffe were often so dark in colour 

 that they appeared to be nearly black, with white bellies and legs ; 

 this deepening of coloration being, as I have said, apparently 

 coincident with advanced age. 



From the strong spotting of the face in yoxing adult bulls, this 

 race might well be called the Spotted-faced Giraffe. 



I may add a word as to the name given to this i-ace. As the 

 first specimen received in England was brought home by Sir Harr}^ 

 Johnston, the natural course would have been to name it aftei- 

 that gentleman. Since, however, his specimens did not include 

 the entire skin, they did not afford sufficient characters for the 

 definition of this form. On the other hand, it would have been 

 somewhat invidious to name this form after its second discoverer, 

 Major Powell-Cotton. Accordingly it appeared advisable to name 

 it after the donor to the British Museum of the Quashengeshu 

 liull, which first afforded decisive characteristics. 



It would not be fair to leave this part of the subject without 

 directing attention to the important service to zoological science 

 Major Powell-Cotton has rendered by collecting these and other 

 specimens of Giraffes from East Central Africa, under what 1 am 

 given to understand were cii'cumstances of special difficulty. 



