The Giraffe. 167 
I was, I heard them give tongue with all their might ; 
and, as their voices appeared all to come from the same 
spot, I conjectured that they had got the animal in a 
corner, and I again pushed forward. I had scarcely got 
round the hill, when I perceived her surrounded by the 
dogs, and endeavouring to drive them away by heavy 
kicks. In a moment I was on my feet, and a shot from 
my carbine brought her to the earth. Enchanted with 
my victory, I returned to call my people about me, that 
they might assist in skinning and cutting up the animal. 
On my return I found her standing under a large ebony- 
tree, assailed by my dogs. She had staggered to this 
place, and fell dead at the moment I was about to take a 
second shot." 
The horns of the Giraffe, small as they are, and muf- 
fled with skin and hair, are by no means the insignificant 
weapons they seem. We have seen them wielded by the 
males against each other with fearful and reckless force : 
and we know that they are the natural arms of the 
Giraffe, most dreaded by the keeper of the present living 
Giraffes in the Zoological Gardens, because they are 
most commonly and suddenly put in use. The Giraffe 
does not butt by depressing and suddenly elevating the 
head, like the deer, ox, or sheep ; but strikes the callous 
obtuse extremities of the horns against the object of his 
attack, with a sidelong sweep of the neck. 
The Giraffe has a peculiarly awkward manner of trot- 
ting, as it moves both the legs on one side at the same 
time. In galloping, the Giraffe separates its hind legs 
widely, and at each stride brings them far forward on 
each side of the fore feet ; in this way the animal makes 
rapid progress, although its appearance is rather extra- 
ordinary, and the stones cast backwards by the force of 
the hind feet not unfrequently assist in protecting it 
when closely pursued. The female Giraffe in the 
Regent's Park was a very bad mother to her first young 
one, as she would not let it suck, and beat it away 
whenever it approached. The poor thing was fed with 
cow's milk, but it soon died. Later young ones have 
been more kindly treated, and have in consequence 
thriven well. 
