THE GREVY ZEBRA 703 



was thin thorn scrub, the kangani were met with in small 

 parties and troops of half a dozen to thirty or forty indi- 

 viduals. Once we came on a plain where the troops had 

 gathered into a loose herd of several hundred individuals. 

 The big zebras mix freely not only with the oryx herds but 

 also with the herds of the smaller zebra. It is curious that 

 they should associate continually and on such good terms 

 with the smaller zebra, and yet never breed with them. 

 Apparently they treat their smaller cousins precisely as 

 they do the various species of antelope. Sometimes the 

 mixed herds of kanganis, bonte-quaggas, and oryxes are 

 divided almost equally among the three species; more often 

 one or two individuals of one species are found with a herd 

 of another; and often, of course, the herd is composed exclu- 

 sively of one species. The kangani herds usually contain 

 one master stallion. The stallions fight viciously with one 

 another. In several instances we killed stallions whose 

 testicles had not come down, and were concealed within the 

 belly wall. 



The gaits of the big zebra are a slashing trot and a 

 gallop, whereas the small zebra canters. It has a peculiar 

 screaming whinny, utterly unlike the barking cry of the 

 common zebra. Its very long ears, thrown forward in curi- 

 ous interest, enable it to be recognized at a distance. Its 

 stripes, being narrow and uniform, fade into a general gray 

 at a distance at which the stripes of the ordinary zebra, 

 especially those on the rump, are still plainly visible; afar 

 off the zebras look like wild asses. We found the big zebra 

 much more wary than the common zebra, but in their habits 

 of grazing, drinking, and resting the two species were not 

 distinguishable; indeed in these respects they behaved much 



