34 THE HORSE FAMILY. 



rather large, and full striping is developed only on the head, neck, 

 and fore-quarters, although in some specimens spots on the flanks 

 indicate disappearing stripes further back. The stripts do not 

 extend across the lower surface of the body. The general colour 

 appears to have been yellowish red, or chestnut. 



The species is represented in the collection by the mounted skin 

 and the skeleton of a male formerly living in the Zoological 

 Gardens in Regent's Park. That animal, which was one of the last 

 survivors of the species, was presented to the Zoological Society 

 by Sir George Grey_, K.C.B. in 1858, and lived in the Menagerie 

 in the Regent's Park till June 1864. 



The skin is exhibited in case No. 38, in the lower mammal 

 gallery, and the skull on the opposite side of the same case. 

 This skull shows a vestige of a cavity in front of the eye-socket. 



It is very probable that several local races of the Quagga 

 formerly existed, and four of these have already been recognized 

 and named. In the case of an extinct species it is_, however, very 

 difficult to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion with regard to 

 its local forms. 



The following observations in regard to the colouring of 

 Quaggas and Zebras appeared in Nature for 1903. 



Colouriny of The testimony of observers in the field has established 

 Quaggas the truth that the coloration of the coat renders a 

 and Zebras. Zebra invisible under three conditions_, namely, at a 

 distance on the open plain in midday_, at close quarters in the 

 dusk and on moonlit nights, and in the cover afforded by thickets. 

 One reason for this is the blending of the white stripes with the 

 shafts of light sifted through the foliage and branches and reflected 

 by the leaves of the trees, so that in an uncertain light or at long 

 range these mutually counteract each other and fuse to a uniform 

 grey. It is also probable that the alternate arrangement of the 

 black and white bars contributes something to the efiect produced, 

 by imparting a blurred appearance to the body and destroying the 

 evenness of its surface owing to the difference in light-reflecting 

 power between hairs of these hues. Again, the extension of the 

 stripes to the edge of the body and legs breaks up the continuity 

 of the outline, this being apparently the reason for the alteration 

 in their direction on the hind-quarters and limbs, so that, except 



