The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-23
A NEW MAMMAL

l Diligent readers of Punch will remem-
 Der an old drawing of John Leech's rep
 resenting an overfed footman grum-
 bling over the constant reiteration of
 l beef and mutton, and crying out for the invention of a "new hanimal" If the
 Jeames of the early eos is alive to-day, Harry Johnston has discovered in the | Semliki forests a mammal which, in it's living form, is entirely new to science.
 It is the size of an OK, and is distinctly
 related to the giraffe. This remarkable creature, in fact, appears, so far as cursory examination of its skin and skull may guide us, to be a living rep resentative of the Helladotherium, a creature found in the fossil state in
 Greece and Asia Minor and supposed to be extinct. The Helladotherium
 was thought to be a relation of the gi-
 raffe, smaller in size, with shorter neck,
 and without any marked development
 of those horn-cores which in the gi-
 raffe represent the pedicles from which,
 for back in the history of the genus,
 kind of antler formerly sprang. Those
 of our readers who have made any
 study of zoology and palaeontology will
 be aware that the ruminating and horn
 bearing section of the ven-toed ungu-
 lates may, roughly speaking, be divided
 into three groups-the Cervidae, or deer,
 the Bovidae, or hollow horned rumi- nants (oxen, antelopes, sheep, etc), and a third, or intermediary class, of which the only living representatives are the prongbuck of North America, the giraffe, and, lastly, the remarkable creature which Sir Harry Johnston's researches have brought to light. Ex- tinct forms belonging to this group are | and include among others | the gigantic Sivatherium of India, as well as the Helladotherium of Greece.
 After sending home incompetent | fragments of skin which he obtained in situ from the natives of the Congo for est near the Semlike river Fragments which were considered to indicate the existence of new species of horse, which was tenta lively named by MT. Sclater Equus JohnstonD, Sir Harry Johnston has at laet secured, through he kindness of the Belgian authorities 1t the frontier post of Fort Mbeni e skin and two skulls of this an-
 mai, which is now shown to be not at Ill horse, but a cloven- -hoofed rumi- lant of extraordinary coloraton and appearance, which seemingly is either )f the extinct genus Helladotheriunl, or S some closely allied creature belong Joa, l , yroup of which the giraffe is an exem- 1lar The skin and the skulls which nave been forwarded by Sir Harry Johnston to the British museum were 1 obtained by native soldiers of the Con- 70 Free State in the vicinity of Fort { Ieeni, and were very kindly presented { O Sir Harry Johnston by MT. K. Eriks- ( on, a Swedish officer in the service of hat state, ho has until recently been ( he commandant of Fort Mbeni. It is { O be hoped that these invaluable spec { mems will reach London safely. i
 We are informed that tne complete ( kin sent home now shows the animal ' 0 be colored in the most extraordinary { manner The cheeks of the rather large ( cad are yellowish-w white, and the ta- ering muzzle is blackish- brown. The I orehead is most vivid red, narrowing I own into thin black line continued r long the ridge of the nose to the nos- I rils. The long ass-like ears are of a r eep reddish brown, with silky black I ringes. The neck, shoulders, stomach a nd back are a deep, reddish brown, S mich in parts has almost a crimson I nge, and in others becomes blackish.
 he hindquarters and hind legs, down ) the hooks. and the front legs from le elbow to the wrist-joint are boldly -riped in purplish black and white the
 hite having here and there faint )uches of orange. The hind legs from le hook downwards are of a creamy elor. The front legs are also cream olor, but bold black line runs down