1901.] AFKICAN MAMMAL OKAPIA. 47^ 



skin, accompanied by a coloured figure of the animal as mounted 

 for the jSTatural History Museum by Mr. Rowland Ward. 



The two skulls were also fully described, and figured in 

 careful drawings prepared under Prof. Lankester's direction by 

 Mr. Gronvold. 



It was pointed out in the memoir that while the skin alone would 

 not justify the assumption that the Okapi was a member of the 

 Girartidae, the skulls left no manner of doubt upon that question. 

 This was, indeed, perceived at once by Sir Harry Johnston on 

 receiving the specimens in Uganda. He wrote home without delay 

 describing the Okapi as ahornless Giraffe, and suggesting its affinity 

 to the extinct IleJladotherium described by Gaudry some years ago 

 from the Miocene strata of Pikermi. 



The Okapi could not, however, be referred to the genus BdJado- 

 tJierium, as it differed in several important respects, which had been 

 determined by Prof. Lankester after an examiua'i'ion of the original 

 specimens ot" that extinct form preserved in tlie Museum of Natin\al 

 History at Paris. 



The characters of the genus Ohapia as indicated by the skull were 

 given in full in the memoir; and a curious and important minute 

 point of agreement with G'u-affa was described, viz., the resemblance 

 of the canine tooth (lower jaw) of the two forms. In both genera 

 the canine was bilobate, i. e. consisted of a fang supporting two 

 broad laminae or folia, lying side by side in the same plane. No 

 other member of the Pecora had a canine of this form. 



The absence of horns in Okcqyia was discussed at some length by 

 the author. It appeared, from a comparison of the dentition with 

 that of the Giraffe, that the specimen to \\ hich the skin and larger 

 skull belong was about two-thirds grown. There was nothing in 

 the skin to indicate whether the specimen was a male or a female. 

 The specimen measured six feet from the occiput to the root of 

 the tail, and stood four feet ten inches measured along the 

 vertical from the fore foot to the dorsal mid-line, the neck from this 

 point on the dorsum to the occiput measured two feet five inches, 

 and the head from the occiput to the end of the snout measured 

 twenty inches. A full-grown specimen would probably be half as 

 large again in all these measurements : thus nine feet from head 

 to tail, and seven feet high at the shoulder. 



It was pointed out by the author that it was therefore possible 

 that the present specimen might be a female two-thirds grown, and 

 that there was nothing, so far as the specimens went, to forbid our 

 supposing that the adult male might be provided with a pair of bony 

 outgrowths on the frontal region similar to those of Girajfa. On 

 the other hand, there did not appear to be any statement on the 

 part of the natives who know the animal that it possessed horns ; 

 and we had no reason to consider it improbable that a hornless 

 member of the Giraffidas should exist at the present da^ as in the 

 past, since hornless genera and species allied to horned forms were 

 known among the Cervidte, and hornless females and varieties 

 amongst the Bovidae. 



