The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1901-11-07
AN UNKNOWN ANIMAL.
Explorers In Central Africa Discover
a Qundruped of PuxzltnE
Appearance.

warf-inha bited forests of Central
Africa is one of the most astonish-
ing discoveries of modern times. New
varieties of well-known animals are
from time to time brought home by
travellers, but the discovery OF hlth-
erto unknown animal forming new
genus or family is rare occurrence
and naturally has created great
amount of interest in the geological
world. Though utterly unknown as
living animal until during the past
| few years, the existence OF such
beast was limited at by some FOSSIL
| bones dug from the miocene deposits
of ancient Greece, in which they had
| lain hidden for thousands OF years.
The helladotherium, as paleontoio-
gists named this prehistoric, girafe-
like animal was larger than the gl-
raffe. but his shorter neck and legs
agree with those of the newly dis
covered animal in way which adds
further romance to the dlsco'ery'
says a London exchange.
Sir H. NJ. Stanley was the first to
hear of the okapi when travelling
through the Congo forests on his last
expedition. the natives frequently IN
forming him of a strange horse-lke
crea ture marked with stripes. SIT
Henry, however, failed to see hlm,
''for moving as we did, he says ana
a caravan two or three miles IN
lenr 9th. everything of a mild or timid
nature fed before U.S. Many tracks
: seen on wet mud confirmed the sto-
ries of the natives, that Sir Harry
Johnston. special commissioner Tor
Uganda. when exploring recently IN
the district of the Congo state, whlch
= touches the Uganda frontiers pc
tween the Ituri and Semllkl rivers
: determined. if possible, to learn more
= of the strange okapi. He hrst oo-
tanned two pieces of the amman
: skin. which he sent home, and on the
i evidence of these it was supposed
that new species or striped holse
: had been discovered.
y. But later on two skulls and com
i n1ete skin were obtained and shipped
. from Mombasa to London. and these
now show that the Ckapi is not
u horse but n cloven-hoofe rumlnan'
>, of most astonishing coloration ahc
,Dnearance allied to the living 81
. ra ffes and the fossil helladotherlun
IF Greece. but having, according u
80 Prof. Ray Lancaster, unique feature
which nccessitate its being regarded
=. as a new genus. When giratfellk
-. outline (no complete skeleton ma
- vet arrived the ocapia johnston
20 covers himself with q hide ana MAJ
n like a deer upon his body and nect
while his legs and hind quarters ar
n striped after the fashion SCI py III
.h zebra The large ears characterised
of Of forest animals arc ruddS an
nd fringed with blue-black hairs and IN
, face is striped with so bright re
a streak that the ol<api is perhaps III
or most wildly colored OF all mammai
ps WHY the okapi should have sue
nr oueer stripes and markings on n
.es bodv and why they should De
strangely placed are questions whlt
inevitably arise even from a cursor
Is. Glance at the animal. That the'
I'll s+ripes so like a zebraS are mi
'es matelv connected with his ha bits al
'eo history would accord with the TN
nis cries of modern science. But becau
ON the stripes resemble zebra $
mt must not be supposed that the Okla
'Sh is giraffe which has recently ne
crossed with zebra. Inc o>a
III" male breeds unhindered with I
am okapi female in the deep forest
up enues and the stripes persist on the
,a, young.
II must be remembered IldI
tiger carries stripes for his own &C
c., yenience and the square patches
~ the giraffe also assist him during
t daily business of eating and keep
Vs. alive. The tigers yellow strlI
sS match the tall grass in which
stalks and his black bands
scarcely to be recognized from
shadows of the bent grasses. !
rira fife stands under his favorite II
yeas and his spots initiate the aecks
of shadow in such Il way that natl
and are frequently misled as to whet
oon the tree is a giraffe OF the gran
,tTy tree II can scarcely be doubted /
ntly the stripes on the Okapl have $
ten liar protective significance. 1t Is !
re- sible that the ollapi was torme
half striped all over and that with
little growing timidity nc protected h
we'd. self more and more by hiding
4 TO needed less and less the stripes II
lake his body. When carefully waite
with if will doubtless be found that
II or okapi stands with his body hid
thin. among the leaves of trees which c
tie expose his limbs to the view OF
enemy, from whom flight is the {
means of preserving his life.
grassy looking stripes must save
cold okapi from many foe.
into
salt .,,o nj the Uncxpccted
/,