The Washington times., 1901-11-17
THE 0KKaaPI GIN VIEW.
Extraordinary Mammal Now Beina
Exhibited In London.

NdtHidi fiiStory Museum. CrOnwel
Road. on the ground floor. The ski
brought home by Sir Harry has been ad
mirably mounted by Mr. Rowland Ward
and the public have now the opportunit.
OF forming their own conclusions as &
this singular animal, which. after remain
ing hidden from the gaze of naturaiists
hunters. and the civilized world generaII,
until the beginning of the twentieth cen
tury. has suddenly been brought to light
Having had considerable experience Of
African animals in the wild state tho
writer was naturally anxious to obtain ar
early view OF the new animal. II IL be-
yond all doubt n most curious beast one
of the very oldest forms of animal life
in country teeming with strange and sin
gular creatures. To anyone who knows
the fauna of Africa. the okapi gives at
| once the impression of being a blending
! of three different flammals-anteIope,
! giraffe, and zebra Its shape and general
| body-coloring remind one very much OF
! the members OF that well-kn0wn group of
antelopes which includes the hartebeests
and bastard hartebcests; its head Is dis
| tinctly giraffe-like and the curious hori-
zontal stripings upon the forelegs and
| hindquarters are. again. very zebra-like.
Yet the okapi Is. beyond all doubt, a
| true species. and is not a hybrid or
| sport" of any kind. That the new anil
NAL has afiinities with the antelopes and
| the giraffe cannot be doubted for mo-
ment by any one acquainted with these
| animals. That-in spite of its stripings-
| 1t has any kind of relationship with the
zebTas, as was supposed when pieces Tef
the skin were first brought to Europe,
cannot, on the other hand be imagined
for moment. The zebra-Iike markings
are mere chance resemblance, and the
okapi has no sort Of klnship with the
splendid striped equidae peculiar to
Africa.
The impression one gains OF this strange
creature, after a prolonged examination.
is that it is decidedly more akin to the
antelopes than to the giraffe Standing
some five feet in height at the withers.
the new specimen gives one very much
the impression, as l have said of being
allied to the bastard hartebeests and hAr-
tebeests. 1t has the same high withers.
and slopes away toward the tail in just
the same dropping. ungainly fashion. Its
body coloring resembles most nearly, I
think. that particular group of antelopes
known as the bastard hartebeests called
by naturallsts damaliscus In this group
are to be found the k0rTisum, or Sene-
gal hartebeest. topi of East Africa, and
tang of Senaar. kordofan, and Bahr-ei-
Ghazal Provinces; the bontebok. blesbok,
and tsesseby of South Africa and Hunt
ers antelope, another East African spe-
cieS, and of these animals the okapi in
its body coloring most nearly resembles
the tsesseby (the bastard hartebeest OF
the Boers) and the topi and tang Of East
Africa and the Sudan regions.
The body coloriIg is. in effect. of a
deep chocolate or reddish brown the fore
head somewhat brighter in hue, as are
the large and singularly broad ears, which
remind one in shape very much Of the
koodoo. L should judge that the okapi,
like the koodoo. is a beast of fpreternatu-
rally quick hearing and OF singularIy vigil
liant and suspicious habits. The antelope
like character of the okapi Is again to be
noticed in the clean and shapely legs,
which look like carrying the animal nath-
less its forest surroundings. at as good a
pace as that compassed by many of the
feet antelopes of the Dark Continent. The
stripings-purplish black on creamy
ground-are found on the upper portions
of the forelegs, while on the headquarters
they extend from the root of the tail to
the hooks. The lower portions of the
itSS-tuE lOEtieSS tSpecidily-are cpTlOuS-
ly pied and marked in black and white,
one somewhat of the boDtebok,
or pied antelope of South Africa The
hoofs. like the legs, more nearly resem-
BILE those of the antelope's than Of any
other animal. The stomach is BiackiSh
The dark chocolate-hued neck is fairly
long. but certainly bears no great resem-
blance to that of a giraffe; in fact, 1t re-
sembles much more nearly that of an an
telope than of the talIest quadruped In
he world When we come face to face,
however, we are at once confronted by
distinctly giraffe-like characteristics. The
,heeks are OF a yellowish-whit or cream
,olor. and the reddish coioring OF the
'orehead is succeeded by a dark line,
which runs down the centre OF the face.
The muZzle is sepia-colored- Not in the
'1ioring. but in the conformation of the
read, however, is the okaprs resemblance
o the giraffe conspicuous. The long, pre-
lehsile muzzle and lips, the narrow. elon-
gate nostrils and the general look and
shape of the head remind one wonderfully
If the giraffe. AS with the giraffe, the
1rehensile upper lip is manlfestly exactly
fashioned for browsing upon the LEAKAGE
Of trees and bush.
The giraffe plucks its nourishment from
name (acacia giraffae); the okapf doubt
ess gathers its food from bushes and
and possibly the lower branch
IS of squat trees. Wandering as it has
icne during long ages of the past in the
lark and remote forests or the Congo
the ckapi has undoubtedly
sought and found its food supplies from
hese sources for uncountable generations.
is lips are the lips of a woodland feeder
md not OF grass-cropping denizen of the
open plains. And yet, during all these
lges, the animal has retained the coat
,f tsesseby. which. as all African
portsmen know. is animal of the sun
light, deniZen of open plains check
red with bush. One cannot account for
his fact, or for the bizarre stripings, or,
II fact, for the new animals strange and
Omewhat contradictory appearance.
The giraffe has been well called "a
most fantastic form Of deer" the okapi
lay be designated with equal truth the
nost fantastic form OF antelope" AL
hough, as l have said, the head Is in
ONE respects strongly giraffe-like, the
ye of the okapi scarcely bears out this
The giraffes eye is large.
ender. and melting. soft brown in hue,
nd shaded by long lashes. The eye of
lie okapi Is, on the contrary small. dark.
rotruding, and unlOvely. 1t has none OF
ne beauty of the giraffes liquid eye, and
set somewhat lower in the head.
Ages ago Pliny remarked that from
frica there is always something new.
he Dark Continent continues, to the lat
It hour of its history. to maintain this
'e-emlnence. 1t will be extremely inter
sting to hear further facts concerning
ba IA md fol hizfn ~ .