THE GIRAFFE. 217 



far out of tlie mouth is to enable the animal to curl it around the 

 branches, twigs, or other things it wishes to draw within the lips. 

 It can also be used for the examination and selection of its food as 

 well as to grasp things that it were otherwise impossible for the 

 animal to secure. The tongue would be liable to blister while 

 being so constantly exposed to the fierce rays of the sun when the 

 animal is feeding if Nature had not supplied a preventative in 

 the shape of a black rete mucosum with which it is covered pre- 

 sumably for this purpose. 



The eyes of the giraffe, which are large and beautiful, are 

 so situated as to confer on the animal a wide range of vision. This 

 provision enables it to not only see what is passing on all sides, but 

 even behind it, without turning the head. It is in consequence, 

 even when feeding, able to detect the approach of its enemies, and, 

 if surprised, to direct with accurate aim the rapid storm of kicks 

 which, as before stated, is the mode of its defence. 



At first appearance the hind-legs of the animal appear to be 

 shorter than the front ones, and many naturalists, including 

 Buffon, describe them as being so in reality. The statement is, 

 however, an erroneous one, for if anything, the hind ones are 

 slightly the longer. The shortness of the body, which is only 

 about seven feet from the neck to the tail, together with the great 

 falling away from the neck to the withers, and the still more rapid 

 slant at the extremity, produces the peculiarity in shape which 

 gives rise to the false impression. 



The construction of the foot is a divided hoof, resembling that 

 of an ox, and as beautifully proportioned as that of the smallest 

 gazelle. The colour of the giraffe is a lightish orange-red, which 

 deepens considerably as it advances in age, and mottled over with 

 numerous triangular or oblong spots of a still darker tint, which, 

 however, are not found on the under part or inside of the limbs, 

 where the colour shades into almost pure white. The female is 

 distinguished by being of a hghter tinge, more approaching to 

 yellow, and shorter than the male. The neck is furnished with a 

 short black mane, and the long tail which nearly reaches to the 

 ground is terminated with a luxurious tuft of dark hair that enables 

 the animal to keep itself, to some extent, free from the pestering 



