GIRAFFE. 
45 
would also be pretty similar, if it were equally fur- 
nished with hair as that of the horse. The legs 
are like those of the stag ; the feet are garnished 
with very black, obtuse, and widely separated hoofs. 
When the animal leaps, he first raises the two fore 
feet, and then those behind, as a horse would do 
who had his two fore feet tied together. He runs 
slowly, and with a bad grace ; he may be easily 
overtaken in the chase. He carries his head always 
high, and feeds on the leaves of trees only, being 
unable to pasture on the ground, on account of his 
great height. When he drinks he is obliged to 
rest on his knees. The females are generally of a 
bright yellow colour, and the males of a brownish 
yellow. Some of them are nearly white, with brown 
or black spots.” 
All that we at present know of the manners of 
the giraffe, independent of what has already been 
mentioned, is, that he is very timid ; that of trees, 
he prefers the mimosa and wild apricot to all others ; 
that, from the length of his fore legs, he cannot 
graze without dividing them to a great distance ; 
that he is perfectly gentle, and kneels like a camel 
when he would lie down. Mr. Pennant says, he 
saw the skin of a young one at Leyden, well stuffed 
and preserved ; otherwise he might possibly have 
entertained doubts in respect to the existence of so 
extraordinary a quadruped. 
That the giraffe was known to the Romans, in 
very early times, appears from the famous Prenes- 
