274 THE DUN OR TAN STOCK. 



progeny, apparently brought to the south of Europe 

 by the ancient Burgundians, the black characters 

 are strongly marked, but this colour is anomalous 

 wherever found ; it is one that has baffled our re- 

 searches. It is seen to assume the shape of all the 

 stirpes, and yet to be so fixed, that foals of a chest- 

 nut dam by a black sire are most frequently without 

 the least assimilation to the paternal colour, but 

 wholly like the mother. 



THE DUN OR TAN STOCK 

 PLATE VI. 



is in our view the fourth stirps, and perhaps even 

 more distinct from the three already mentioned than 

 the fifth or pied stem ; for, in the form and mark- 

 ings there occur evident approximations to the Asi- 

 nine group, never acquiring the lofty stature of the 

 black or grey, but always lower and proportionably 

 longer, with more slender limbs, clean joints, and 

 smaller hoofs. The dun is typical of the generality 

 of the real wild horses, still extant in Asia, and the 

 semi-domesticated, both there and in Eastern Europe. 

 Beside the general form, the smaller square head, 

 great length of mane, tendency to black limbs, it is 

 known by the black streak along the spine, some- 

 times, though very rarely, crossed by a second of a 

 fainter colour on the shoulders, and often marked by 

 black streaks on the hocks and upper arms. * 



* Beside the animal figured, Plate VI., we have seen but 

 two others similarly marked with a cross bar ; but my friend 



