WILD HORSES. 



629 



Furthermore, the light-colored and uniform coating, without 

 the dorsal stripe and not separated, by a darker tint from the 

 white of the lower parts ; the plump shape of the hoofs, and the 

 long hairs of the lower legs, are so many characteristics separat- 

 ing the Prejevalski horse from the hemiones and allying it with 

 the horse.* 



It is therefore reasonable to assume, with Poliakoff, that the 

 wild horse of Dzungaria is the true primitive horse, and repre- 

 sents the original stock of all the domestic races. That naturalist 

 has compared the skull of this horse with those of the remains of 

 horses in the European Quaternary, and has been led to believe 

 in as complete an identity as possible between the two types. We 

 know, from the researches of Nehring on the Quaternary fauna 



Fig. 2. — Syrian HEMipprs (Eqmis hemippus). 



of central Europe, that the existing fauna of the Asiatic steppes, 

 which is characterized by the presence of the saiga, the jerboa, 

 and the souslik, extended into Germany and the north of France. 

 Two species of Equidce- form a part of this fauna — the hemione 

 (Equus hemionus) and the wild horse (Equus cdballus feru-s), 

 which is probably identical with Equus Prejevalskii. 



The wild horse of Dzungaria is, of all the species of the genus, 

 the one of most northern habitat. This fact explains why the 

 domestic horse supports so well the winters of northern Europe, 



* According to Herodotus, there were in his time wild horses in Scythia, on the banks 

 of the Hypanis, which were white, like Prejevalski's horse. The Asiatic tarpans are never 

 of as clear a color. 



