THE ZEBRAS 



1091 



-. ,, r, Lastly, we have the well-known Suffolk punch of East Angha, 



Suffolk Punch , , - ,. . , 



famed for its steadiness of draught, and the pertinacity with which it 



will exert itself against a dead pull. The original breed derived its name from the 

 stout and " punchy " form, and was further distinguished by the color being light 

 dun or sorrel, sometimes darkening to chestnut, with lighter mane and tail. The 

 height was medium, the pace rather slow, but the power of endurance very great, 

 and the constitution hardy. The form was, however, somewhat ugly, the head be- 

 ing large, with a coarse muzzle, the neck short, and the shoulder low and heavy. 

 On the other hand, the limbs were short, and the back straight, with wide loins 

 and well-developed haunches. The breed, which has of late years been much modi- 

 fied by mixture, is believed to have been introduced from Normandy; and Low is of 

 opinion that its dun or sorrel color indicates a near affinity with the wild tarpan of 

 the Asiatic steppes. 



Among well-known Continental breeds, the percheron, represented 

 s on p. 1089, while somewhat deficient in bulk and strength, is remarka- 

 ble for its energy and pluck. Belgium possesses two distinct original breeds known 

 as the Ardennes breed, from the valley of the Meuse, and the Frisian, from the sea- 

 coast. By crossing there has been produced the Brabancon horse, which although 

 inferior in bulk and strength to the Clydesdale, has more breed and energy. Har- 

 nessed to heavy country carts, weighing about three thousand pounds, they will drag 

 a load of from six thousand to ten thousand pounds on the level; and thus vastly 

 exceed in power the original light Ardennes horse, which is fast disappearing. 



THE ZEBRAS (Eqtius zebfa, etc.) 



The three species of zebra, together with the quagga, form a group agreeing in 

 essential character with the asses, but distinguished by their more or less completely 

 striped heads and bodies. In both these groups the mane is erect, and the upper part 

 of the tail is free from long hair; while there are naked callosities on the fore- 

 limbs only, and the ears are longer, the head relatively larger, and the hoofs nar- 

 rower than in the horse. 



The true or mountain zebra (E. zebra} is the typical representative 

 of the striped group, and is essentially an inhabitant of hilly districts. 

 It is the smallest of the three species, standing from four feet to four feet two 

 inches (twelve to twelve and one-half hands) at the withers, and has relatively-long 

 ears and a comparatively-short mane, with the tail but scantily haired. The general 

 ground color of the hair is white, while the stripes are black, and the lower part of 

 the face is bright brown. With the exception of the under parts of the body and 

 the inner sides of the thighs, the whole of the head, body, and limbs, as well as the 

 upper part of the tail, are striped. On the hind-quarters, the dark longitudinal 

 stripe running down the middle of the back is connected with the uppermost of the 

 oblique longitudinal stripes by a series of transverse bars, which are wanting in the 

 next species; and there may be a longitudinal stripe running up the middle of the 

 chest. This species was originally common in the mountains of the Cape Colony, 



