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Show 224 MIL ft. LYDEKKER OH THE [Feb. 2r The aborted frontal horn in the Transvaal skull (text-fig. 35, l>. 223) forms an irregular nodular boss, measuring 6 inches in antero-posterior length. In front are two much smaller bosses placed orre before the other in the median line. So far as I have seen, no other Giraffe possesses such a large frontal boss. Of course other skulks are required in order to ascertain whether the large size of the posterior horns and of tlxe fx-oxital boss is constant, and not due to age. I think, however, it will turn out it is so ; for although the present skull, as shown by the teeth, belonged to a somewhat older individual than the aforesaid skull of the Baringo race, the difference in this respect is comparatively slight, and quite insufficient to account for the wide diversity in the size of the posterior horns. As already mentioned, the distinctive characteristics of the North Transvaal Giraffe were first revealed by tlxe body-skin presented to the British Museum by Mr. Rothschild, who subsequently gave to that Museum a. cast of the skrrll of the same individual. Still later-, Mr. Rowland Ward presented the Museum with the mounted head and neck of this same bull, which afforded additional material to demonstrate the distinctness of the present race. I have accordingly much pleasure in naming the North Transvaal Giraffe after Mr. Ward ; its title thus being Giraffa camelopardalis irardi. I have especial pleasure in doing this, since, in a letter to the ' Field,' Mr. Ward was the first to point out the distinctness of the Somali Giraffe. The general colour and arrangement of the spots orr the head and neck are much the same as on the body. Compared with the Cape Giraffe the spots are much mox-e irregularly formed and star-like, there is mox-e white in the neighbourhood of the ear, and the occipital horns, each of which is capped by a black patch. are very large, instead of inconspicuous. In connection with this race, I may refer to a piece of giraffe-skin sent home by Six- Alfred Sharpe from the Loango River, in Northern Rhodesia, westward of Lake Nyasa, which was exhibited before the Society by Dr. Sclater* in 1899, and identified provisionally with G. c. capensis. Not having seen the specimen,. I cannot attempt to determine the form to which it pertained, although I think it practically certain that the true Cape Giraffe does rrot range so far north. 9. CAPE GIRAFFE. GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS CAPENSIS. (Plate XVI.) Camelopardalis capensis Lesson, Nouv. Tabl Reg Anim p. 168 (1842). °" Giraffa austrcdis Rhoads, Pr. Ac. Philad. 1896, p. 518. Hob. Cape Colony and some of the adjacent districts. Typica! southern form probably extinct. * P. /. S. 1S99. p. 98o. |