Giraffe

ji-raf', a cloven-hoofed, cudchewing animal of south central Africa. Naturalists place it between the deer and the antelope. The forehead bears two bony, antler-like projections, covered with skin. The eye of the giraffe stands out so far that the owner is able to see behind him. It is the tallest animal known, attaining a height of twenty feet. The front legs and neck are of extraordinary length, although the latter contains but seven bones, as is usual in animals of the antelope kind. The giraffe feeds chiefly on the leaves of the mimosa tree which its extraordinary height enables it to reach with ease. In feeding, a slender tongue is thrust out a foot or two beyond the lips and curls around the leaves, drawing them into the mouth. The giraffe is usually fawn colored, and is marked with darker spots, giving it the name of camelopard, or leopard camel. It is a playful, inoffensive animal, bounding away on the approach of danger or defending itself against the lion by tremendous kicks with its hind feet. It is, of course, only a matter of time before the giraffe will be extinct, at least in its native range.

In 1899 rumors of a small giraffe were confirmed by the discovery of the okapi in the forests of the upper Congo Valley. A stuffed and mounted skin was secured for the British Museum. This animal is built on the plan of the giraffe. The head is like that of the giraffe, but there are no external horns. It is about four and one-half feet tall at the withers. The general color of the body is said to range from red to sepia and jet black, with yellowish white cheeks and cream white under parts and legs. The body is surrounded also by rings of black and white, somewhat after the style of the zebra. Students of Egyptian lore claim that this animal is without doubt the original of the pictures drawn to represent the Egyptian god Set.