ZEBRAS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 177 



the Crystal Palace. These animals displayed great 

 docility and quickness in their various perform- 

 ances. The failure of zebras in Transvaal coach work 

 is scarcely surprising. It is not to be expected that 

 animals taken fresh from the wilderness will at once 

 display the same capacity for severe and prolonged 

 labour as quadrupeds like the horse, ass, and mule, 

 which have undergone a gradual process of domesti- 

 cation and training during thousands of years. 



I know of no handsomer or more characteristic 

 figure in the South African veldt than this splendid 

 creature, the Burchell's zebra. With its clean, sleek 

 coat, shining in the sunlight like a well-groomed 

 horse's, its flowing tail, rich colouring, graceful mane, 

 perfectly hogged by nature, and beautiful head, it 

 forms a noble picture, framed in its usual setting of 

 grassy plain, or park-like, open bush veldt. Often 

 when in pursuit, at a signal from the big stallion 

 bringing up the rear, I have seen the flying troop 

 suddenly wheel round in line, and stand with heads 

 up, ears pricked, and distended nostrils, to stare for 

 a full half-minute at their disturbers. Then, with 

 curvets, prancings, and whirling tails, away again 

 they scour, perfect types of feral beauty ! Not 

 seldom you may see them with their constant allies 

 the brindled gnus; with perhaps a troop of ostriches 

 to fill up the company. If these noble creatures 

 can but be saved from extinction, and trained for 



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