ZEBRA-HORSE HYBRIDS. 



year old (Fig-. 11) most of the spots have united to form 

 somewhat zigzag narrow bands, almost identical in their 

 direction with the narrow stripes over the hind quarters of 

 the Somali zebra. On the left side the blending of the 

 spots has advanced further than on the right. Counting 

 from the shoulder stripe to the root of the tail, there are 

 forty-three stripes in the hybrid, — about the same number 

 as in the Somali zebra ; in Matopo there are only five 

 transverse stripes behind the shoulder stripe (Fig. 7). It 

 seems to me the blending of the spots over the hind 

 quarters of Romulus goes a long way towards proving that 

 stripes ai-e in many cases first represented by spots or 

 interrupted zigzag wavy lines. Between the stifle or third 

 flank sti'ipe and the point of the hock there are a number 

 of dark bands (between some of which are shadow stripes), 

 while below the hock there are first several distinct trans- 

 verse bars, and then a number of less distinct oblique lines, 

 right down to the hoof. Similar bars and lines occur on 

 the fore-limb. These leg bars were at birth more distinct 

 than in the zebra sire. Continuous with the mane is a 

 well-defined dorsal band (with a nan-ow yellow band at each 

 side) which extends some distance into the tail. The tail in 

 the hybrid had, at birth, long hairs right up to the root, but, 

 notwithstanding this, there were three distinct bars visible 

 at each side ; similar tail bars I have once seen in a horse. 

 Though the ears look long in some of the photographs, 

 they are now relatively very little longer (though rounder 

 at the apex) than in the majority of horses. The nostrils, 

 in their shape, position, &c., are zebra-like, and the eyes 

 and eyebrows may be said to be intermediate ; but the 

 eyelashes are long and curved, and quite unlike the short 

 nearly straight eyelashes almost invariably found in zebras 

 and horses. The hoofs of Romulus suggest the zebra 

 more than the horse. They seem to be made of excellent 

 stuff, and to stand a good deal of wear. In his movements 

 the hybrid takes more after his sire than his dam. A few 

 minutes after birth he was rushing about his box, impatient 

 apparently to join the parental troop. What has struck 



3 



