i88 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



zeuru of Lobo and the Galla zeora or zecora, 

 according to Ludolphus." 



To the Greeks and Romans zebras were known 

 as hippotigris, a word meaning horse-tiger, although 

 in Liddell and Scott's lexicon it is translated "larofe- 

 tiger," from a mistaken idea that it is analogous 

 in meaning to such words as horse-chestnut and 

 horse-radish. 



There is evidence that one at least of these 

 hippotigres was exhibited in the Roman amphi- 

 theatre, by Caracalla ; ^ and there is little doubt 

 that this belonged to the species now known as 

 Grevy's zebra, which is therefore not only the true 

 hippotigris, but likewise the true zebra, although 

 the latter designation is now applied to the South 

 African species. In early days these zebras were 

 considered royal gifts by the Abyssinian emperors, 

 and it is stated by Mr. H. Scherren ^ that some were 

 sent by King Assaghedus to the Governor of the 

 Dutch East India Company at Batavia, by whom 

 they were presented to the Emperor of Japan. 

 " News of these facts was sent to Ludolphus by 

 Emanuel Nawendorff, a native of Altenburg resident 

 in Batavia. In return the Emperor sent 10,000 silver 

 taels and thirty Japanese dresses, so that, as this 

 correspondent of Ludolphus says, they were amply 

 paid for. And the latter notes that these animals 

 might be sent by sea if they would only bear the 



^ Hamilton Smith, op. cit., pp. 320-21. 

 ^ The Fields vol. cv. p. 375, 1904. 



