WILD TARPAN AND ITS RELATIONS 113 



was thrown out that the former might be the 

 direct descendants of the latter. Although I no 

 longer maintain such a view, it may contain a 

 certain element of truth, since Arabs, as mentioned 

 later, may perhaps trace their origin to the aforesaid 

 Eqtms sivalensis. 



Before leaving this part of the subject it is impor- 

 tant to observe that the Burmese and Malay countries 

 have derived their ponies from Mongolian or Arab 

 stocks, and had no indigenous breeds of their own. 



The tarpan has also had a share in the production 

 of the Turkoman horses of Turkestan, which un- 

 doubtedly have been produced by crossing Mongolian 

 ponies with Arabs. In fact, the Turkoman horse 

 passes insensibly through the Persian into the 

 Arab. A very similar pedigree may be assigned 

 to the well-known dun-coloured ponies of the 

 Kathiawar district of North-western India, which 

 frequently show transverse dark barrings on the 

 legs, accompanied in some cases by traces of 

 shoulder-stripes, and always by a narrow dark spinal 

 stripe. The limbs are long and slender, and the 

 ears large, with a decided tendency to turn inwards 

 at the tips. In the opinion of Professor Ridge way, ^ 

 " There can be no doubt that the Kathiawar horse 

 is a cross between the dun-coloured horse of Upper 

 Asia and the Arab ; " there being historical evi- 

 dence to show that so early as the commencement 



^ op. cit., p. 159. 



H 



