AN ACCOUNT OF THE GIRAFFE. 21T 
in August 1827, and was then about a year and a half old, and 
it died at Sandpit Gate in October 1829. 
It was evident, on its first arrival, that there was considerable 
disease in several of its joints. The knee, the fetlock, and the 
hock, were swollen and distorted, and the peculiar gait of the 
animal was more than usually awkward. Inflammation had plainly 
attacked the synovial membrane of these joints, the cause of 
which had doubtless commenced w hile the poor beast was fettered 
and bound on a camel’s back, being too young to travel. The 
journey overland was however performed by the Giraffe now in 
Paris without injury, for it was a twelvemonth older than that 
which was presented to his Majesty. 
This disease of the joints continued to increase in despite of 
the most careful treatment, and, at length, rendered every move¬ 
ment of the animal exceedingly painful. For several months 
before it died the limbs became powerless ; and it w : as requisite 
to support it in the erect position by a sling, to the use of which 
it became perfectly reconciled. 
The inflammation proceeded to ulceration of the synovial 
membrane and cartilages, and which extended deeply into the 
bones of several of the larger joints ; and this interesting animal 
died worn out with pain, the excruciating nature of which w r as 
sufficiently obvious on the post-mortem examination of the 
joints. 
The Giraffe belongs to the class Mammalia , and the order 
Huminantia : it bears some resemblance to many species of this 
order, but it is distinguished from all of them by several striking 
peculiarities It resembles the camel in the length of the neck ; 
in the callous substances found on the breast and knees; in 
the construction of the feet, which have no false or supplementary 
hoofs ; and in the height of its stature. This resemblance had 
been noticed by the Romans, by whom it was called the Camelo¬ 
pardalis, the camel spotted like a paid. 
It however resembles still more some of the species of Deer , 
in the apparent rudiments of horns, covered by the integument, 
hairy, and crowned with a tuft of bristles, which may almost be 
fancied to be the developement of the horns; in the general 
shape and character of the head; and in the large soft eye with 
elongated pupil. The eye of the poor animal that died at Sand¬ 
pit was the admiration of every one, and its countenance truly 
indicated its gentle and inoffensive character. The general form 
of the body, the obliquity of the back, and the slenderness of the 
legs, remind us of some of the deer tribe. It has, however, 
characters not recognized in the camel or the deer. On the 
forehead is a large tuberculous projection of bone, lengthened 
