32 THE EXISTING EQUIDAE [CH. 



of the river Tom, in the territory of the Kalkas, the Mongolian 

 deserts, and the solitudes of the Gobi : within the Russian 

 frontier there are, however, some adulterated herds in the 

 vicinit}' of the fixed settlements, distinguishable by the variety 

 of their colours and the selection of residence less remote from 

 human habitation. Tarpans are not larger than ordinary 

 mules, their colour invariably tan, Isabella, or mouse, being 

 all shades of the same livery, and only varying in depth by 

 the growth or decrease of a whitish surcoat, longer than the 

 hair, increasing from midsummer and shedding in May ; during 

 the cold season it is long, heavy, and soft, lying so close as to 

 feel like a bear's fur, and then is entirely grizzled ; in summer 

 much falls away, leaving only a certain quantity on the back 

 and loins ; the head is small, the forehead greatly arched, the 

 ears far back, either long or short, the eyes small and malig- 

 nant, the chin and muzzle beset with bristles, the neck rather 

 thin, crested with a thick, rugged mane, which like the tail 

 is black, as also the pasterns, which are long ; the hoofs are 

 narrow, high, and rather pointed ; the tail, descending only 

 to the hocks, is furnished with coarse and rather curly or 

 wavy hairs close up to the crupper ; the croup is as high as 

 the withers ; the voice of the Tarpan is loud, and shriller 

 than that of the domestic horse ; and their action, standing, 

 and general appearance, resemble somewhat that of vicious 

 mules. 



" The feral horses, we were told, form likewise in herds, but 

 have no regular order of proceeding ; they take to flight more 

 indiscriminately, and were simply called Muzin. They may 

 be known by their disorderly mode of feeding, their desire 

 to entice domestic mares to join them, by their colours being 

 browner, sometimes having white legs, and being often silvery 

 grey ; their heads are larger and their necks shorter ; but 

 their winter coat is nearly as heavy as that of the wild, and 

 there is always a certain number of expelled Tarpan stallions 

 among them ; but they are more in search of cover and watery 

 places, the wild herds being less in want of drink and more 

 unwilling to encounter water, being even said not to be able 

 to swim : while the Muzin will cross considerable rivers." 



I 



