334 On the Wild Horfes of Spanifh America. 
thofe horfes which have been tamed, endeavour not only to 
frighten away the wild horfes, but even to exterminate them. 
With that view they beat the woods in queft.of them, drive 
them, if poffible, into ravines, and kill them by means of 
lances. 
The Pampas eat their flefh, and particularly that of the 
fillies, colts, and mares; but they fometimes kill a very fat 
fiallion to make a fire with his greafe and bones, as in the 
country of Pampa’ wood is extremely fearce. 
The Spanifh author often contradiéts Buffon, not only in 
regard to local obfervations, which is not aftonifhing, but 
alfo in regard to general ideas, fuch as the influence of cli- 
mate, &c. D. Felix Azara refutes the affertion of the French 
naturalift, who afcribes more ftrength and fleetnefs to the 
wild than to the domettic horfes of thefe countries. He even 
afferts, that’ he has not been correct in faying that each wan- 
dering troop fubmit, by common confent, to a chief, which 
ferves as a guide; which regulates. and directs their move- 
ments; forms them in the order of battle, by files, compa- 
nies, {quadrons, &c. The truth, according to the author, is, 
that each ftallion appropriates to himfelf as many mares as . 
he can, which he takes care of, and keeps collected; that 
he combats any other ftallion which attempts to deprive him 
of them; and that each wandering troop confifts, therefore, 
of a number of fmall diftin& bodies, which fometimes unite 
into one. : 
In the great number of wild troops which the author faw, 
he never obferved any other prevailing colours than bay, 
dark brown, and jet black. If it fometimes happens that a 
pied or dirty grey coloured individual is feen, or one of any 
other colour, it may with certainty be concluded that it is a 
domeftic horfe which has deferted.. According to the author, 
there are ninety bay for one dark brown horfe; and black 
horfes are fo uncommon, that one of them is fcarcely feen in 
two thoufand. He thence infers, that thefe three colours, 
bay, dark brown, and jet black, are a primitive mark, which 
diftinguifhes, at leaft im part, the horfes which recover their 
liberty; that the firft horfe and mare which exifted had one 
of thefe three colours, and moft probably the bay, fince it 
appears 
