THE GIRAFFE. 



There is betides a tubercle on the forehead, about two inches high, which 

 refembles a third horn fprouting out. The ears are fharp and pointed; 

 the upper lip is longer and thicker than the under, and both of them are 

 covered with ftiff hairs ; the eyes are large and beautiful. It has eight 

 cutting teeth in the lower jaw, but none in the upper ; and fix grinders on 

 each lide, both above and below. The tongue is pointed and rough; the neck 

 flender and elegant ; it is above five feet long, and adorned on the upper fide 

 with a fhort mane, of a reddifh brown colour. The ftioulders are of art 

 extraordinary length, which makes the fore legs appear much longer than the 

 hind ones, though, in fad:, they are not really fo. In confequence of this 

 lingular conformation, the creature is a foot and a half higher at the 

 ilioulders than at the rump, fo that the back appears Hoped like the roof 

 of a houfe. This animal is from fourteen to fifteen feet high, from the 

 crown of the head to the foles of the fore feet. From the top of the 

 moulder to the fole of the fore foot it meafures ten feet ; whereas from 

 the rump to the bottom of the hind foot it is only eight feet two inches 

 high. This difference arifes partly from the length of the ftioulder-blades, 

 and partly from a ftiarp procefs of the firfl vertebra of the back, which 

 projects more than a foot beyond the reft (a). The tail is nearly three feet 

 long, flender, and adorned at the end by a bunch of hairs two feet in length. 

 The hoofs are divided into two, like the Ox ; but it has no fmall hoofs at 

 the fetlock joint. 



The colour of the Giraffe is a dirty white, with large fpots difperfed all 

 over, pretty clofe to each other, of a reddifh yellow colour ; thefe fpots are 

 of a lighter colour in the younger animals, and become darker as the creature 

 grows older. 



This animal is of a mild and timid difpofition; when purfued, it will trot 

 fo faft, that even a good Horfe finds it difficult to keep up with it; it will 

 likewife pace and gallop. As often as it lifts up its fore feet, it throws its 

 neck back ; though, at other times, it holds its head and neck ereci, except 

 when grazing. When it leaps, it lifts up firfl its fore legs, and then 



(a) Sparrman. 



