214 WILD ANIMALS. 



the general appearance of the locality in wticli it is found." The 

 harmony these large creatures exhibit to their surroundings gives 

 them the power of remaining inconspicuous to a far greater 

 extent than would be generally supposed. "In the case of 

 the girafEe," continues Gumming, "which is invariably met 

 with among venerable forests, where innumerable blasted and 

 weather-beaten trunks and stems occur, I have repeatedly been 

 in doubt as to the presence of a troop of them until I had 

 recourse to my spy-glass ; and on referring the case to my savage 

 attendants I have known even their optics to fail, at one time 

 mistaking these dilapidated trunks for camelopards, and again con- 

 founding real camelopards with those aged veterans of the forest." 



It is obvious that to see them in their natural condition on the 

 level plains, or in the mimosa woods of Africa, they must appear 

 to more advantage than they do in any zoological collection, where 

 everything around them seems so strangely out of proportion and 

 unsuitable to these dignified but inoffensive-looking animals, and 

 they appear in consequence more out of harmony with their sur- 

 roundings than any of the other quadrupeds. 



They are strange-looking because so unlike any other animal, in 

 their peculiar shape, and in the extraordinary length of limb and 

 neck which gives them their exceptional height. Inoffensive 

 looking, consequent on the expression of their large, dark, lustrous 

 eyes, which beam with such a peculiarly mild and fearless expres- 

 sion ; also because of their comparatively small head, which is 

 crowned with two apparently useless horns. They are not, how- 

 ever, so useless as they look, for at certain seasons of the year , 

 they fight furiously apiong themselves. Two of the male animals 

 in the Zoological Gardens once had a desperate encounter ; when 

 the horns of the one were actually driven into the head of the 

 other. Precautions are now taken to prevent such conflicts in 

 the future. The way they fought was described as being very 

 singular. They stretched out their legs behind and before, and 

 then swung their heads the full length of the neck, and with 

 sledge-hammer blows battered away at each other, their heads 

 being kept in a slightly twisted position, so as to bring the full 

 force of the horns to bear in the blow. 



