50 THE BRAND OF EUROPE 



woodland glade is a camera. The coat of a 

 woodland animal is coloured by the direct 

 action of hght, is sensitive to light, is a sensi- 

 tized film for colour photography. To the 

 peculiar reversed and condensed rays shining 

 through leafage into the woodland camera, the 

 coat of the horse responds, forming rings of 

 deeper colour limited to the parts of the animal 

 which are exposed to direct light. In the 

 course of many generations, the rings become 

 permanent and are known as dapples. The 

 dappling in the dappled light of woodlands 

 gives concealment both to hunting leopards 

 and to hunted horses. 



Since dapples have not been traced to any 

 other country, and may well be native to wood- 

 lands of Western Europe, it seems fair reasoning 

 which gives that special quality of colour to a 

 type we will now define as the European horse. 

 I do not contend that the woodlands were more 

 extensive than the open downs, or that any 

 large proportion of European horses developed 

 dapples. I do contend that a certain stocky 

 build and well conditioned heaviness of type 

 more or less dappled is characteristic of Western 

 Europe, just as a more or less striped Dun is 

 typical of Asia, and more or less striped Bay 

 typical of Northern Africa. 



