GIRAFFES. 



The giraffes in the Gardens of the Zoological Society 

 have done well for many years, as between twenty and 

 thirty young ones have been born and bred on the Society's 

 premises. Although powerful animals, they still are, as 

 a rule, very liable to accident and sudden death. Many 

 instances to my knowledge have occurred of the animals 

 in various travelling menageries dying suddenly, their 

 deaths being caused in general by their excessive timidity. 



I recollect walking in a pair of soft slippers early one 

 morning into the giraffe-house ; I was astonished on my 

 entrance to notice a sudden alarm among the giraffes. 

 Upon my attempting to move they dashed about in such 

 a manner that I thought they would break their necks 

 or legs. It at once occurred to me that my moving 

 silently along had frightened them, and in order to put 

 a stop to their fear, I called loudly to them and stamped 

 my feet; in this way I left the house thankful that no 

 accident of any moment had occurred. The solution to 

 this terrific alarm may be that giraffes, living in a country- 

 inhabited by lions, have a dread of anything that moves 

 on the ground so silently as the much-feared lion. 



A fine, healthy, lively giraffe, about eighteen months 

 old, born in the Gardens, was observed by the keepers to 

 be uncomfortable and, apparently, straining ineffectually 

 to pass something. The uneasiness of the animal con- 

 tinued the whole day, and on the following morning I 



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