The Horse Tribe 



195 



The QUAGGA, which became 

 extinct about thirty years ago, 

 never had a very extended range, 

 but in the early part of the 

 last century it existed in great 

 numbers on all the upland plains 

 of the Cape Colony to the west 

 of the Kei Eiver, and in the 

 open treeless country lying be- 

 tween the Orange and Vaal 

 Rivers. North of the Vaal it 

 appears to have been unknown. 



The quagga seems to have 

 been nearly allied to Burchell's 

 zebra especially to the most 

 southerly form of that species 

 but was much darker in general 

 colour, being of a dark rufous 

 brown on the neck and upper- 

 parts of the body, becoming 

 lighter on the sides, and fading 

 off to white beneath and behind. Instead of being striped, too, over the whole body, it was 

 only strongly banded on the head and neck, the dark brown stripes becoming fainter on the 

 shoulders and dying away in spots and blotches. On the other hand, in size and build, in 

 the appearance of its mane, ears, and tail, and in general habits, it seems to have nearly 

 resembled its handsomer relative. The barking neigh " qua-ha-ha, qua-ha-ha " seems, too, to 

 have been the same in both species. The word " quagga " is pronounced in South Africa 

 " qua-ha," and is of Hottentot origin, being an imitation of the animal's neighing call. To-day 

 Burchell's zebras are invariably called Qua-has by both Boers and British colonists. 



Photo by Percy Ashenden. 



ZEBRAS ON TABLE MOUNTAIN. 

 Another South African photograph. Xoiice Cape Town in the far distance. 



WILD ASSES. 



[Notting Hill. 



QUAGGA. 



This is, we believe, the only known photograph from life of this very 

 rare animal. There will probably never be another, for the quagga is generally 

 supposed to be extinct. 



The true asses are without stripes 

 on the head, neck, and body, with the 

 exception of a dark streak down the 

 back from the mane to the tail, which 

 is present in all members of the group, 

 and in some cases a dark band across 

 the shoulders and irregular markings 

 on the legs. 



In Africa the wild ass is only 

 found in the desert regions of the 

 north-eastern portion of that continent, 

 being an inhabitant of Abyssinia, 

 Somaliland, Gallaland, the Soudan, and 

 the arid districts bordering the Red 

 Sea. The form of wild ass found in 

 Somaliland differs in some respects from 

 its near relative of the Nubian Desert, 

 in that it is of a paler colour, has the 

 dorsal stripe but faintly marked, and is 

 without a cross- stripe over the shoulders. 



