158 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



rather than those of a zebra. The hoofs are 

 rounded in front, long-heeled behind : the neck is 

 adorned with an erect mane, and the tail resembles 

 that of a donkey. In its actions Grevy's zebra 

 resembles a horse, but its voice is asinine rather 

 than equine. The ground colour of the animal is 

 a beautiful silvery white, elegantly banded at 

 regular intervals with narrow black stripes, which 

 rise from a line running along the back, and 

 extend over the sides, stopping short of the 

 abdomen. The muzzle of Grevy's zebra is bright 

 bay ; there is frequently, but not always, a white 

 area on the croup, disposed on each side of the 

 middle line, while the tail tassel is invariably 

 white. The legs are striped, sable and silver, right 

 down to the hoofs. 



Although not known to scientific zoologists 

 until 1882, it is highly probable that Equus grevyi 

 was the zebra or hippotigris of the Romans, and 

 that it was the animal exhibited in the arena 

 under that name. Of these early appearances, 

 we may note that in the reign of Caracalla (244- 

 217 A.D.) three zebras were slaughtered in the 

 arena, and that Philip the Arabian subsequently 

 possessed no less than twenty examples of the 

 "hippotigris," which he exhibited to the populace : 

 while Dion Cassius tells us that Severus received 

 from Plautianus the " tiger-like " horses of the Sun 

 ( rtypoftges )^ which were found on an island in the 



