THE EDINBURGH 



JOUENAL OF NATUEAL HISTOEY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



AUGUST, 1836. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE — THE GIRAFFE (Cametopardalis ffiraffa). 



It was long a matter of doubt in raodern times, whether there existed such an animal 

 as the Giraffe. This doubt was, however, set finally at rest by the zeal and exertions 

 of the indefatigable traveller Levaillant, who saw, chased, overtook, and killed one 

 in the interior of Africa. 



The Giraffe is the tallest of quadrupeds, measuring eighteen feet from the hoofs 

 to the tip of the horns. In its native wilds it feeds principally on a tree called 

 Acacia Giraffce. Mr Richard Davis, animal painter to the King, who studied the 

 manners of the young one which arrived in this country in August 1827, says, *' In 

 its natural habits, I cannot conclude that the Giraffe is a timid animal, for, when led 

 out by its keepers, the objects which caught its attention did not create the least 

 alarm, but it evinced an ardent desire to approach whatever it saw ; no animal was 

 bold enough to come near it. Its docile, gentle disposition, leads it to be friendly, 

 and even playful, with such as are confined with it ; a noise will rouse its attention, 

 but not excite its fear. 



" I do not think it very choice of its food when out, so that it be green and sweet. 

 It is fond of aromatics ; the wood of the bough it also eats ; our acacia, and others of 

 the mimosa tribe, it did not prefer ; and it never attempted to graze ; it seemed a 

 painful and unnatural action when it endeavoured to reach the ground. I have seen 

 it try to do so when excited by an object which curiosity led it to examine; its feet 

 were then two yards apart. It was constantly in motion when the doors of its hovel 

 were open ; but it had no sense of stepping over any obstruction, however low. 



"It is asserted by travellers, that it resembles the Camel, in having callosities on 

 the breast and thighs, and that it lies on its belly like that animal. There are between 

 the fore-len-s what, to the casual observer, may appear to be such, but these arc folds 

 of loose skin, which enable it to separate its fore-legs when reaching downwards. Its 

 mode of resting is, like most quadrupeds, on one side ; but the operation of lying 

 down is curious and peculiar : I will endeavour to describe it : — ■ 



" We will suppose it to be preparing to lie down on the right side; the first action 

 is to drop the fetlock of the right fore-leg, then, on one knee of the left one, to bring 

 down the other knee; it then collects its hind-legs to perform the next movement, the 

 left one being brought rather forward, but wide, until tlie right hind-leg is advanced 

 between the fore ones' — pretty nearly in the position represented in the second figure 

 of the plate. — " This requires some time to accomplish, during which it is poised 

 with the weight of its head and neck, until it feels that its legs are quite clear and 

 well arranged ; it then throws itself on one side and is at case. When it sleeps, it 

 beni!s the neck back, and rests the head on the hind quarters." 



M. Acerbt, who saw this Giraffe and its companion at Alexandria, differs from Blr 

 Davis in one essential particular. He says, " There are few naturalists who have not 

 contributed to perpetuate the vulgar error, that in eating and drinking from the 

 ground, the Giraffe is compelled to stretch his fore-legs amazingly forwards. Some 

 even assert that he is obliged to kneel down. Of the few animals which fell under 

 my observation, three took their food from the ground without inconvenience ; and 

 I am of opinion that when any difficulty exists in this respect, it is the effect of 

 habit, acquired in the progress of domestication." 



We hope that these and other discrepant points in the history of this interesting 

 animal will not long remain unsettled, as four beautiful and healthy Giraffes have 

 lately arrived in this country, and are now in the Zoological Gardens, London. 



j\J. Thibaut, who has the charge of the Giraffes in the Gardens, Regent's Park, says 

 they are extremely fond of society, and very sensible; he has observed one of them 

 shed tears when it no longer saw its companions, or the persons who were in the 

 habit of attending it. The Giraffe eats with great delicacy, and takes its food leaf 

 by leaf, collecting them from the trees by means of its tongue. It rejects the thorns, 

 and in this respect differs from the Camel. As the grass on which these Giraffes 

 are now fed is cut for them, they take the upper part only, and chew it until they 

 perceive that the stem is too coarse. Great care is required for their preservation, 

 especially great cleanliness. M. Thibaut says, that he found the flesh excellent eat- 

 ing; the Arabs zre very fond of it. On the 15th of August, last year, Thibaut saw 

 the first two Giraffes; a rapid chase, on horses accustomed to the fatigues of the 

 desert, put him and his companions in possession, at the end of three hours, of the 

 larger of the two, the mother of one of these now in his charge. Unable to take her 

 alive, the Arabs killed her with blows of the sabre; and cutting her to pieces, carried 

 the meat to the head-quarters, where it was cooked and oaten. 

 16 



The Giraffe has its eyes placed on the extreme convex sides of the skull, by which 

 means it can see objects behind it as well as before. This will be observed, as also 

 its manner of lying on the ground, by a back view, which we have given in the most 

 distant figure on the plate. 



Some idea will be formed of its mode of laying hold of branches, from the above 

 cut, copied from the excellent paper of Sir E. Homo on the Giraffe. 



DESCRlf'TION OF THE PLATE — THE OWLS 



Of all the birds of prey, Owls are the most useful to man; as their food consists 

 principally of rats, mice, and other vermin which steal abroad, under the cloud of 

 night, to lay waste our corn fields and granaries. Yet it is strange that vulgar 

 prejudice prevails over common sense and daily experience, so that these birds are 

 viewed with hatred, and even dread. A singular appearance, and doleful cry, with 

 their retired and lonely habits, have gained for them a superstitious character which 

 is not likely soon to be wiped away. But their utility demands our kindest regard. 



Fig. 1. The Virciniak Horned-Owl (Strix Virginiajia'). — This is one of the 

 largest of its tribe, the male bird measuring twenty inches in height, while the 

 female is upwards of two feet. It is to be found in almost every quarter of the 

 United States, and extends its range as far north as Hudson's Bay. It is a bold and 

 noble bird, exhibiting courage equal to that of the Golden Eagle. It builds on high 

 trees, usually fixing its nest on a horizontal branch. A characteristic anecdote of the 

 superstitious notions of our countrymen, in which an Owl of this species was con- 

 cerned, is related by Dr Richardson. *' A party of Scottish Highlanders," says he, 

 *' in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, happened, in a winter journey, to 

 encamp after nightfall in a dense clump of trees, whose dark tops and lofty stems, 

 the growth of more than a century, gave a solemnity to the scene that strongly 

 tended to excite the superstitious feelings of the Highlanders. The effect was 

 heightened by the discovery of a tomb, which, with a natural taste often exhibited by 

 the Indians, had been placed in this secluded spot. Our travellers having finished 

 their supper, were trimming their fire preparatory to retiring to rest, when the slow 

 and dismal notes of the Horned Owl fell on the ear with a startling nearness. None 

 of them being acquainted with the sound, they at once concluded that so unearthly a 

 voice must be the moaning of the spirit of the departed, whose repose they supposed 

 they had disturbed, by inadvertently making a fire of some wood of which his tomb 

 had been constructed. They passed a tedious night of fear, and, with the dawn of 

 day, hastily quitted the ill-omened spot." 



Fig. 2. The Long-Eared Owl (5. Olus). — This species is common both to 

 Europe and America. Like the Great Horned Owl, it also breeds on trees. It is 

 fourteen inches and a half long, and three feet two inches in extent from the tip of 

 one wing to that of the other. In America, Wilson found this species building in 

 the midst of the nests of other birds, and some were even on the same tree ; this is 

 identically the same with the habits of this bird in Britain and other places of Europe. 



Fig. 3. The Mottled Owl (5*. Nccvia, male), and fig. 4, a young female. — 

 The male and female of this species are considerably different in the colour and 

 markings of their plumage, as well as in the mottling. This has caused authors to 

 describe them as distinct species. There is, beside::, a marked difference in the 



