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Show 1904.] SUBSPECIES OF GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS. 219 Decisive evidence of the unity of the two forms is, however, afforded by the skin of the fore-legs and withers of a male from Kilimanjaro px-esented, at m y suggestion, to the British Museum by Mr. Rowland Ward. In this skin, which has jagged and somewhat star-like chestnut spots of the character of those of the so-called schillingsi, the lower part of the fore-legs is fawn-coloured, and spotted almost or quite down to the hoofs, after the fashion of the type of tippelskirchi. In other words, we have a tippelskirchi from the typical schillingsi locality, which is, I think, sufficient to show that the two are identical. Hithex-to we have had no evidence as to whether tlxe male of the present race has a third horn. That such an appendage was present is, I think, demonstrated by sketches of a Giraffe's head and skull, together with certain notes, made some years ago by Mr. Vaughan Kirby in Portuguese East Africa, for the opportunity of seeing which I am indebted to Mr. Ward. These sketches show the head and neck of a male giraffe, having the type of coloration characteristic of the present form, and carrying a well-marked third horn on the forehead. At the same time this third horn appears to be decidedly smaller than ixx G. c. rothschildi; and I gather from Mr. Kix-by's notes that some of the bull giraffes from the same locality have little or no third hoi'rr. This accordingly demonstrates that in Portuguese East Africa a Giraffe, closely allied to and px-obably identical with G. c. tippelskirchi, is tending towax-ds the Cape type in the characters of the skull, as is the typical tippelskirchi in the coloration of the limbs. I may add that Mr. Vaughan Kirby regarded his Giraffe as indicating an undescribed form. That G. c. rothschildi grades into tippielskirchi, and the latter into the under-mentioned North-Transvaal form, is, I thixrk, quite possible. It is somewhat curious that immediately south of the equator the Giraffes on the eastern side of Africa tend to become spotted and dax-k-coloured on the lower part of the limbs, and at tlxe same time to lose tlxe third horn of tlxe bulls. 6. CONGO GIRAFFE. GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS CONGOENSIS. Giraffa camelopardalis congoensis Lydekker, Hutchinson's Animal Life, vol. ii. p. 83 (1903). Hob. Katanga, Congo Fx-ee State. A race typified by an adult mounted bull irr the Congo Museum at Tervueren, near Brussels (text-fig. 33, p. 220). Specially characterised by the well-developed frontal hox-n, coupled with the full spotting of the lower portion of the limbs (especially the hind pair), of which the ground-colour is grey-fawn, and the large size and subquadrangular form of the body-spots, which show no tendency to split up into stars. |