COMMON ZEBRA OR BONTE-QUAGGA 679 



paid not the slightest attention. But it is impossible to 

 generalize from such instances; often game animals seem to 

 recognize when beasts of prey are not after them, and then 

 betray a curious indifference to the otherwise dreaded pres- 

 ence. We have seen zebras trot a few rods out of the path 

 of a lion and then turn to gaze at him as he walked by. 

 The chief fighting is done by the stallions among themselves. 

 When at liberty the beaten party can generally escape; but 

 if a herd is captured and left overnight in a corral, by 

 morning the weaker males are sure to have been frightfully 

 savaged, and some of them killed. The jaws are very pow- 

 erful and inflict a merciless bite. In captivity the animals 

 must be carefully handled, as they sometimes grow very 

 vicious. 



Zebras are noisy, much more so than any antelope. 

 Their barking cry — qua-ha, or ba-ha — sounds not unlike 

 that of a dog when heard at a distance; watching from 

 behind a bush we have seen the stallions canter close by 

 with ears forward and mouths open as they uttered this 

 cry. They often utter it when leaving a pool after drinking, 

 or when their alarm or curiosity is excited ; and often for no 

 reason as far as we could discern. 



Game differ wonderfully in tameness and shyness, both 

 individually and locally; and, moreover, individuals will 

 be shy at one time, and, for no apparent reason, tame at 

 another. On the whole, however, the common zebra is 

 among the tamest of African game. It is, moreover, much 

 influenced by curiosity. Again and again herds have stood 

 watching us from different sides, even down wind, as we 

 sat under a tree eating lunch or resting. Zebras are quick 

 to catch motion, but will feed right up to a man lying 



