124- ZEBRA. 



in all the hardships of their situation. This, indeed, 

 might be excusable, because it is not to be remedied; 

 but the wretched creature frequently falls into the hands 

 of the untaught or unprincipled, and is treated by those 

 unfeeling monsters with a severity in the highest degree 

 disgraceful to human nature. Its faithful services are 

 repaid with insult, its best exertions with blows ; and 

 Dr. Percival relates, that, after its hard labour, he has 

 seen its abandoned owner toss up with a companion 

 whether he should lay out a trifle in buying it a feed, or 

 in a glass of gin for himself. 



The -ass seems to be originally a native of Arabia and 

 the East. By degrees it has spread over colder regions. 

 It appears that there were scarcely any in England during 

 the reign of queen Elizabeth : yet they were certainly 

 known here at least four hundred years before. At this 

 time Scotland contains very few, nor do we find that 

 they have yet reached Norway. The Spanish breed is 

 by far the most esteemed ; and the mules produced by 

 this mixture possess several good qualities, which do not 

 exclusively belong either to the horse or the ass. 



The hide of this animal is manufactured into several 

 useful articles. The milk of the female is highly and 

 justly valued as a restorative of health. 



THE ZEBRA. 



Whether we consider symmetry of shape or beauty of 

 colours, this is perhaps the most elegant of all quadrupeds : 

 it unites the graceful figure of the horse with the fleetness 

 of the stag. 



The zebra is rather smaller than the horse, and in its 

 general shape approximates to the ass ; but no two crea- 

 tures keep at a greater distance from each other, and all 

 attempts to unite them have proved abortive. The colours 

 of the zebra are singularly beautiful : the male is striped 

 all over, in regular lines, with white and brown ; the 

 female with white and black. In a word, it is impossible 

 to look at this creature without admiration, or to con- 



