354 



THE STORY OF THE ZEBRA. 



That night they had a great feast. I tasted the zebra flesh, but found 

 it unpalatable. I had shot two fine antelopes, and although I offered my 

 men one of the carcasses, they declined it and ate the zebra instead. 



The alternating yellowish-white and brown-black stripes of the zebra, 

 which markings of the skin and hair are more pronounced than in any 

 other of the wild animals, not excepting the tiger, give the name to the 

 animal. Zebraed means banded, and the name is appropriate to the horse- 

 tiger, as the zebra is sometimes called. The haunts of the animal in its 

 natural state are among the mountainous and almost inaccessible regions of 



A FAMILY OF ZEBRAS. 



Southern and Eastern Africa. Shy by nature, and endowed with wonderful 

 powers of sight, few zebras have been captured alive. The animal is rarely 

 found alone, preferring to travel in large troops. ' 



The three known species of zebra, together with the quagga, form a 

 group agreeing in essential character with the asses, but distinguished 

 by their more or less completely striped heads and bodies. In both these 

 groups the mane is erect, and the upper part of the tail is free from long 

 hairs; while there are naked callosities on the fere limbs only, and the ears 



