ORDER PERISSODACTYLA: ODD-TOED UNGULATES 323 



Przewalski's Horse is distinguished from other horses by its erect 

 mane and lack of a forelock. The following description is derived 

 from Salensky (1902, pp. 7-18), who had more than a dozen speci- 

 mens at his disposal, rather than from Poliakof (1881), who had 

 only one. 



This species is of the size of a small ordinary horse; grown male 

 with a height at the rump of 1,240 mm.; head relatively larger than 

 that of the Wild Ass ; average length of ears, 140 mm. ; mane erect, 

 highest (160-200 mm.) in the middle of its length; tail long, reach- 

 ing in some individuals nearly to the hoofs, and provided on the 

 dorsal side toward the base with short hairs, elsewhere with long 

 hairs; hoofs rounder than those of the Kiang and the Kulan; 

 "chestnuts" on all four limbs. 



Winter pelage lighter than that of summer; yellowish on the back, 

 becoming lighter on the sides and almost white on the under parts. 

 Summer pelage much shorter than that of winter, smooth, not wavy; 

 back and sides light reddish brown, gradually changing to yellowish 

 white on the belly; head colored like the back, but white on the 

 muzzle about the nostrils and on the lips; ears light brown basally, 

 darker at the tips; inner surface of ears white. Pronounced tufts of 

 hair on sides of head in winter, and along entire lower part of head 

 in summer. Mane dark brown, with shorter tufts of light gray hairs 

 on each side; a median dorsal stripe of reddish brown, about 5 mm. 

 wide, and distinctly visible only in summer pelage, extending along 

 the entire back and on to the tail; a brown or black shoulder stripe, 

 more noticeable in summer than in winter ; lower part of limbs more 

 or less black (occasionally gray in younger animals) ; a black ring, 

 up to 80 mm. wide, bordering the hoofs; inner side of legs gray, 

 generally with distinct bars, up to the knees. 



The principal range seems to have been on both sides of the Altai 

 Mountains in western Mongolia and in Dzungaria. But Prejevalsky 

 (1876, vol. 2, p. 170) also reported Wild Horses much farther south, 

 in western Koko Nor and in southeastern Chinese Turkestan : "Wild 

 horses, called by the Mongols dzerlik-adu, are rare in Western 

 Tsaidam, but more numerous near Lob-nor. They are generally in 

 large herds, very shy, and when frightened continue their flight for 

 days, not returning to the same place for a year or two. Their colour 

 is uniformly bay, with black tails and long manes hanging down to 

 the ground. [This last expression is, of course, wholly erroneous as 

 applied to the manes.] They are never hunted, owing to the diffi- 

 culties of the chase." This report, apparently based upon native 

 information, does not seem to have been substantiated by later 

 records, and is open to question. In this connection, however, it may 

 be recalled that Sven Hedin has remarked (1903, vol. 1, p. 357) on 



