176 FERAL HORSES. 



is a true colour among the feral races ; and he re- 

 gards the bay, the dark, and the jet black as three 

 typical liveries of the original wild animal, and in- 

 fers that the first pair of horses was of one of these 

 colours ; he then remarks that the black decreases 

 or is liable to be effaced, next, the dark zain^ and 

 therefore that bay-brown is the primitive colour. 

 The statement of this able observer is nearly the 

 same as our own, but we explain the effects in a 

 different manner, in the conclusions already drawn ; 

 namely, that the Spanish horse in general is of the 

 bay stock imported by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, 

 and other African tribes, including the Arab Mus- 

 sulrnen ; the black, a residue of the Yandalic im- 

 portation, and thence most anciently the Andalus, 

 that is, Vandal breed of the Moors ; the zaln pro- 

 bably an original race, or a residue of Roman intro- 

 duction, which with the greys belonged to the 

 mountains, and is now in the New World chiefly 

 confined to mountainous regions ; hence the black 

 being the fewest, must necessarily be absorbed un- 

 less other causes intervene. 



We have seen the Tarpans of Asia forming herds 

 composed of minor families, but headed by a sul- 

 tan-stallion, who guides the march and fights the 

 battles of his subjects ; we know these instincts to 

 be weaker in the mixed and feral troops of. Asia, 

 and find it still less evolved in America. Having 

 in the West a greater abundance of food, they con- 



dent approximation to white, just as real pied horses are chanc x 

 occurrences in England. 



