644 WILD HORSES. 



portion is i to 2.16 in his 2^ year-old Prjevalsky's colt, 

 and that this animal's head is relatively longer than that of 

 the Prjevalsky's horses at the Zoological Gardens, London. 

 We may therefore infer that the comparative length of the 

 head is greater than that of the race-horse or cart-horse 

 (p. 184). Salensky also says that, relatively, the forehead is 

 broader and the brain larger than in the domestic horse, as 

 we can see by the " bumpy " forehead (p. 194) in living 

 specimens. Here we have another proof that wild 

 animals are more intelligent than tame ones (p. 202). 

 Respecting the wild camel in the desert of Kum-tagh, 

 Colonel Prjevalsky (From Kulja) says : '^ Unlike the 

 domestic animal, whose chief characteristics are cowardice, 

 stupidity and apathy, the wild variety is remarkable for 

 its sagacity and admirably developed senses." 



The muzzle of this horse is particularly broad, and the 

 upper lip hangs a little over the under lip. The pelvis is 

 more horizontal than that of the ass and zebra, and the 

 bones of the pelvis and limbs are massive. As the height 

 at the withers is about equal to the length of the body, 

 the relative length of the legs is about the same as that of 

 ordinary well-bred hunters. The usual number of loin 

 vertebrae is five. The chestnuts and ergots are similar to 

 those of horses in this country, except, perhaps, that the 

 hind chestnuts are rather longer. The feet (Figs. 612 and 

 613) resemble those of the domestic horse, except that they 

 are comparatively narrower, and consequently the heels 

 appear to be " contracted." This peculiarity is unnatur- 

 ally accentuated,^ to a moderate extent, in Fig. 613, 

 because the pedal bone had been removed and the hoof 

 allowed to get dry, before the photograph was taken. 



Coat and colour. — Salensky tells us that the winter coat 

 and summer coat of Prjevalsky's horse differ from each 

 other in their length and texture, and also in their colour 

 and markings. The winter hair is of a lighter colour than 

 the summer hair. It is of a yellow dun on the back ; gets 

 gradually lighter on the sides of the body ; and becomes 



