454 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1914. 
factured. The finest was made from the wool of the vicugna, which 
was therefore reserved for the use of the Peruvian nobles. At the 
present day this is rarely used, being difficult to obtain since the 
periodical hunts have been abandoned. Instead of this the wool of 
the domesticated alpaca is employed and has become a valuable arti- 
cle of export for producing the well-known cloth of the same name. 
When the Spaniards came to South America they found the Peru- 
vians in possession of vast herds of Hamas, which they used princi- 
pally for burden bearers. Large troops, 500 or even 1,000 in number, 
transported merchandise by scaling the difficult mountain passes of 
the Andes. Horses and mules have gradually displaced the lama as 
a beast of burden, and these large caravans are no longer seen. The 
llama is still used as a burden bearer, but can carry only 100 pounds 
or so at a time, so that great numbers are required when there is 
much to transport. Both the domesticated and the wild animals 
live by grazing, and in captivity are fed on hay like domestic cattle. 
THE ZEBRAS. 
Among the horselike animals the zebra is one of the most interest- 
ing. It is an African animal, once existing in vast numbers from 
Cape Colony in the south to Nubia in the north. Its peculiar striped 
markings make it a striking object, and it was early sought as suita- 
ble for menageries. The earliest ones exhibited were from South 
Africa, and were of the form known as the mountain zebra. They 
have become rare and are now carefully preserved by the British 
Government. Two other species exist, both of which are represented 
in the park. The finest of these, the Grevy zebra, shown in the 
picture (pl.10), was sent from Abyssinia by King Menelek as a gift to 
President Roosevelt. It appears to be a favorite selection for a royal 
gift, as the King also sent a pair to Queen Victoria and another to 
President Grevy of the French Republic, whose name was promptly 
used by the French naturalists to designate the species. Formerly it 
was rarely seen, though it is found in great abundance in Abyssinia 
and British East Africa. Since the construction of the railroad from 
the coast to Nairobi has opened up this country, a considerable num- 
ber of animals formerly but little known have been brought to Europe. 
This zebra is more delicately striped than the other species and is also 
much larger, the animal at the park being equal in size to a small 
horse. Successful attempts have been made by the Department of 
Agriculture to breed this animal with the domestic ass. One of the 
hybrids from this union is on exhibition at the park. 
The other variety of zebra on exhibition is a subspecies of the 
Burchell zebra, known as Grant’s zebra. It is a smaller animal with 
broader stripes. It also is found in abundance in the region about 
Mount Kilimanjaro. 
