172 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



sought fresh pastures, they were led by a few of the 

 older stallions, who gave warning of impending 

 danger. Like kiang^ in Ladak, the herds come up 

 to gaze at novel objects, and run in circles 

 round bands of mounted travellers, who on 

 such occasions find it difficult to prevent their 

 own animals from escaping. When once caught, 

 the wild horses of the pampas, like those of the 

 North American prairies, soon re-acquire domesti- 

 cated habits. It is stated that these pampas horses, 

 or baguals, as they are called, have acquired larger 

 heads, longer ears, and more muscular limbs than 

 their domesticated ancestors ; although, on account 

 of the mildness of the climate, there has been no 

 marked increase in the length of their coats. Very 

 noteworthy is the statement " that "their colour is 

 always of a chestnut-brown, and never dun, as in 

 the Tatar races ; and whenever a bay, a black, or 

 other colour appears, it is inferred that the indi- 

 vidual is of the domesticated race, and has made its 

 escape and joined the wild herds." This affords 

 further evidence in favour of the view that the Barb, 

 or Andalucian stock, is descended from a species 

 distinct from the wild dun tarpan of Mongolia. 



Horses from La Plata, and therefore probably 

 of the Andalucian type, were introduced by the 

 French in 1764 to the Falkland Islands, where 



^ Sec chapter vii. 



* See Low, Dotnes/icaied Animals of British Islands, p. 499. 



