ZEBRA 6 I 



THE ZEBRA 



{Equus zebra) 



Daoiv OR dainv OF THE HOTTENTOTS 

 (Plate ii, fig. 5) 



The true zebra, often termed the mountain zebra, in order to 

 distinguish it from the bonte-quagga or Burchell's zebra of the plains, 

 is a very different animal from the latter, and much more nearly related 

 to the wild ass. In the first place, the direction of the hairs along 

 the spine between the withers and the rump is reversed, so that they 

 are inclined forwards instead of backwards. In the second place, the 

 ears are considerably longer, the hoofs are narrower, and the tail-tuft 

 is more scanty ; while all the body-stripes, with the exception of two 

 passing on to the rump and hind-quarters, are continued upwards to 

 meet the longitudinal dorsal stripe which they cut at right angles. 

 Then, again, the area on the rump between the dorsal stripe and the 

 uppermost haunch-stripe running to the root of the tail, in place of 

 being longitudinally striped, is marked by a series of transverse bars 

 forming what is called a " gridiron-pattern." Finally, the body-stripes 

 stop short on the sides, so as to be far removed from the ventral 

 stripe. 



In the old days the zebra was found in all the mountain-ranges of 

 Cape Colony ; but it is now restricted to the Cradock district, where 

 it survives only by means of rigid protection on the part of the 

 Government. The species is, however, represented in Angola by a 

 local race known as Penrice's zebra {E. zebra penrtcei), and in Damara- 

 land by Hartmann's zebra {E. z. JiartmanncE), although it is by no 

 means certain that these are really separable. 



Unknown to the north of the Zambesi, the zebra formerly ranged 

 from Angola through Damaraland and Namaqualand to the various 

 mountain -chains of Cape Colony, ending with the Drachensberg. 

 Occasionally, it seems, it might descend to the intervening valleys, 

 but the true home of the species was in the precipitous mountains, at 

 elevations of between 2000 and 5000 feet, or even as much as 7000 

 feet, above sea-level. At such elevations snow and severe frosts are 

 experienced in winter ; and in unusually cold winters these proved too 



