90 'J KLEGONY AND REVERSION. 



common zebra is that in the latter the great flank stripe 

 has numerous cross-bars extending from it towards the 

 dorsal band. This gap between the mountain and Burchell's 

 zebra is (as far as the markings are concerned) bridged 

 over by members of Crawshay's group of zebras. Hence, 

 as already indicated, it appears (1) that the arrangement of 

 the stripes over the flank and hind quarters in Matopo has 

 been ai*rived at by the femoral stripes of the Somali zebra 

 arching upwards and forwards so as to entirely obliterate 

 the numerous narrow stripes across the croup and rump ; 

 (2) that a less complete migration of the femoral stripes 

 would result in the plan which prevails in the Crawshay 

 type of zebras (Fig. 29) ; and (3) that sucli a "gridiron" 

 as exists in the mountain zebra would almost at once result 

 from the shunting upwards of the posterior end of the 

 first complete femoral stripe in the Somali zebra. In other 

 words it appears that the plan of marking in the common 

 zebra might be easily derived by a modification of the 

 stripes in the Somali zebra, and that by further modi- 

 fications in the same direction the various patterns pre- 

 sented by the stripes in the Crawshayi, Chajpmani, and 

 Burchelli types of zebras might also be obtained. I do not 

 wish it to be inferred that the Burchell zebras have been 

 derived from the common zebras, but simply that the 

 ancestors of the Burchell zebras once upon a time more or 

 less resembled in their markings the common zebra of 

 to-day, and that their still more remote ancestors probably 

 resembled in their markings the Somali zebra. 



It need only be mentioned further as to Matopo, that 

 below the knee and hock the stripes are faint ; that while 

 the front part of the pastern is white, the back part with 

 the exception of a mesially placed white triangular space is 

 decorated with very narrow dark brown stripes ; that there 

 are no hairs at the fetlock ; that the chestnut (wart) on 

 the fore-leg — the only one present — while relatively much 

 larger than in the horse, is smooth and not raised above 

 the general level of the skin ; that the hairs (vibrissas) 

 about the muzzle are longer and more numerous than in 



