testimony of ancient authors respecting the Giraffe. Moses is the
first author who speaks of it. As Aristotle does not mention it, M.
Mongez supposes that it was unknown to the Greeks, and that it did not
then exist in Egypt, otherwise Aristotle, who travelled there, must
have known about it. In the year 708 of Rome, Julius Caesar brought
one to Europe, and the Roman emperors afterwards exhibited them at
Rome, either for the games in the circus, or in their triumphs over
the African princes. Albertus Magnus, in his _Treatise de Animalibus_,
is the first modern author who speaks of the Giraffe. In 1486, one of
the Medici family possessed one at Florence, where it lived for a
considerable time.

In its native country the Giraffe browses on the twigs of trees,
preferring plants of the Mimosa genus; but it appears that it can
without inconvenience subsist on other vegetable food. The one kept
at Florence fed on the fruits of the country, and chiefly on apples,
which it begged from the inhabitants of the first storeys of the
houses. The one now in Paris, from its having been accustomed in early
life to the food prepared by the Arabs for their camels, is fed on
mixed grains bruised, such as maize, barley, &c., and it is furnished
with milk for drink morning and evening. It however willingly accepts
fruits and the branches of the acacia which are presented to it. It
seizes the leaves with its long rugous and narrow tongue by rolling it
about them, and seems annoyed when it is obliged to take any thing
from the ground, which it seems to do with difficulty. To accomplish
this it stretches first one, then the other of its long fore-legs
asunder, and it is not till after repeated attempts that it is able to
seize the objects with its lips and tongue.

The pace of the Giraffe is an amble, though when pursued it flies with