THE TRUE QUAGGA 173 



from the attacks of wild dogs 1 and hyaenas, and 

 also mentions the specimen now in the Stockholm 

 Museum. Le Vaillant seems to have seen the 

 animal in the wild state about 1781, though he did 

 not obtain any specimens. In those early days 

 it was remarkably abundant, ranging the spreading 

 plains in vast herds of many hundreds, often 

 mixed with black wildebeest and ostriches. 



The quaggas probably grazed stretched out in a 

 great semi-circle, like other wild asses, and it must 

 have been a beautiful sight to see hundreds 

 of these animals spread over the flower- 

 bespangled veldt, their handsome striped heads 

 closely applied to the fresh green grass, and 

 their snowy tails whisking to and fro, while 

 eagles, hawks, and other birds floated above 

 them in the cloudless azure. Harris' famous 

 " Portraits of the Game and Wild Animals 

 of Southern Africa" includes an interesting 

 sketch of several quaggas drawn from life on 

 their native veldt. The nearest animal stands on 

 the edge of a little pool fringed with graceful 

 rushes : close by are three or four others ap- 

 parently basking, after drinking, in the early rays 



1 The Cape hunting dog (Lycaon pictus) is a long-legged, parti- 

 coloured brute, which hunts in regular packs. These ferocious hounds, 

 formerly preying on antelopes, became the terror of the Cape farmers, 

 whose sheep they would massacre in sheer bloodthirstiness. // the 

 old stories are true, the quagga showed a high degree of courage in 

 facing animals able to conquer the lion. Bay horses, however, are 

 noted usually for their spirit : and this tint entered largely into 

 the coloration of the quagga ! 



