GIEAFFES. 
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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