ZEBRAS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 167 



the most untamable ferocity, bitiog savagely and 

 rushing open-mouthed at its captors, and refusing all 

 food. It drank quantities of water, but finally died 

 of inanition. Of course, such a mature animal was 

 hopelessly untamable, and should have been set free 

 again. On the other hand. Captain Hayes ^ speaks 

 of a true zebra which a few years since was displayed 

 in a circus, and was mounted and ridden by Mrs. 

 Hayes. The animal seems to have been utterly 

 unamenable to the bit, however. 



Very few examples of this zebra have been seen in 

 the Zoological Society's Gardens; nearly all those 

 zebras displayed there being of Burchell's species, with 

 which form the public is therefore most familiar. A 

 female was placed there in 1851, and a male in 1858 ; 

 but there was subsequently a long period during 

 which no examples were on view. Within the last 

 few years two excellent specimens of the mountain 

 zebra (male and female) were again to be seen in the 

 Gardens. Most unfortunately those animals both 

 died within a year or two of their arrival — I believe 

 of influenza, caught, it was supposed, from the pre- 

 vailing epidemic — and it will be long, I fear, before 

 such fine examples are again to be seen in England. 

 These zebras were in adjacent boxes to the Burchell's 

 zebras, and their relative points and distinctions 

 could be very quickly noted. The pace of this 

 1 Author of Bhistrated Horse-hreakmg, etc. 



