174 THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC [CH. 



(4) that it is in these inferior strains that the colours black 

 and brown are found. 



The fact that the cross-bred horses are taller and stronger 

 than the pure Keheilans is of great importance, but it must 

 not therefore be supposed that the stock with which the 

 Keheilan was crossed was necessarily taller than the latter, for 

 it can be demonstrated that cross-breds are constantly taller 

 than either of the parents. Frequently a stout mare well under 



15 hands by an Arab sire of 14 hands has oflfspring over 



16 hands high'. This fact is of great importance, for it renders 

 it clear that size and strength are due not solely to the so-called 

 Arab, and that it was not by this element alone that size was 

 added to the little primeval horses of Europe, so that they 

 became capable of carrying riders instead of being merely 

 useful for chariots. 



According to Upton about 87 per cent, of genuine Arab 

 horses are of a dark colour ; but not only are horses of grey 

 and white colour found among Al Khamseh, but beyond all 

 doubt great numbers of horses termed Arabs, and sold as such 

 in Syria, Egypt, Turkish Arabia, Constantinople, and India, 

 are grey or white. It is obvious that it will be of great 

 importance if we can obtain from the available data any 

 reliable results concerning the distribution of colour among 

 all tlie high-bred horses of Asia. From Mr Blunt's observa- 

 tions it is now clear that bay is the chief colour among the 

 Keheilans, whilst grey is characteristic of the Hamdaui, and 

 chestnut is found in strains not reckoned in Al Khamseh. 



Mr Blunt''' writes as follows. "The head of the English 

 thoroughbred differs from the Arab, for where there is a mixture 

 of blood, the head almost always follows the least beautiful type 

 of the ancestors. Thus every horse with a cross of Spanish 

 will retain the heavy head of that breed, though he have but 

 one-sixteenth part of it to fifteen of a better strain. The 

 head of the Arabian is larger in proportion than that of the 

 English thoroughbred, the chief difference being in the depth 

 of the jowl ; the latter is fine and beautifully shaped, but not 



1 I am indebted to Prof. Ewart for this fact. 



- Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, ii. pp. 249-54. 



