166 Quadrupeds. 
.slender ; and, notwithstanding the length of the neck, 
it manifests great difficulty in taking anything from the 
ground. To do this, it puts out first one foot, and then 
the other ; repeating the same process several times ; and 
it is only after several of these experiments that it at 
length bends down its neck, and applies its lips and 
tongue to the object in question. In fact, the neck of 
the Giraffe, although so enormously long, is not very 
flexible, as it contains only the same number of vertebrae 
or joints (seven) that is found in other quadrupeds with 
a much shorter neck ; it is admirably adapted for 
enabling the animal to browse upon the branches of 
trees, but is not intended to fit it for grazing. It 
willingly accepts fruit and branches of a tree when 
offered to it ; and seizes the foliage in a most singular 
manner, thrusting forth a long, reddish, and very nar- 
row tongue, which it rolls round whatever it wishes to 
secure. Indeed, the tongue is a most remarkable organ 
in this animal, and we have been witness of some amus- 
ing exploits with it. In the Zoological Gardens at 
Regent's Park, many a fair lady has been robbed of the 
artificial flowers which have adorned her bonnet, by 
the nimble, filching tongue of the rare object of her 
admiration. 
The Giraffe is a native of Africa; and it was for a 
long time known only by the descriptions of travellers. 
It was first sent to Europe in 1829 ; but since that time 
many have been introduced, and several young ones 
have been born in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's 
Park. 
Le Vaillant, in his entertaining Travels in Africa, gives 
an animated account of a Giraffe hunt : — " After several 
hours' fatigue, we discovered, at the turn of a hill, seven 
Giraffes, which my pack instantly pursued. Six of them 
went off together; but the seventh, cut off by my dogs, 
took another way. I followed it at full speed, but, in 
spite of the efforts of my horse, she got so much ahead 
of me that, in turning a little hill, I lost sight of her 
altogether. My dogs, however, were not so easily put 
out. They were soon so close upon her, that she was 
obliged to stop to defend herself. From the place where 
