216 HISTORY OF 



pose that the animal was dressed out by art, and 

 not thus admirably adorned by nature. 



In the male zebra, the head is striped with fine 

 bands of black and white, which in a manner 

 centre in the forehead. The ears are variegated 

 with a white and dusky brown. The neck has 

 broad stripes of the same dark brown running 

 round it, leaving narrow white stripes between. 

 The body is striped also across the back with 

 broad bands, leaving narrower spaces of white be- 

 tween them, and ending in points at the sides of 

 the belly, which is white, except a black line pec- 

 tinated on each side, reaching from between the 

 fore-legs, along the middle of the belly, two-thirds 

 of its length. There is a line of separation be- 

 tween the trunk of the body and the hinder quar- 

 ters, on each side ; behind which, on the rump, 

 is a plat of narrow stripes, joined together by a 

 stripe down the middle, to the end of the tail. 

 The colours are different in the female ; and in 

 none the stripes seem entirely to agree in form, 

 but in all they are equally distinct ; the hair 

 equally smooth and fine ; the white, shining and 

 unmixed ; and the black, or brown, thick and 

 lustrous. 



Such is the beauty of this creature, that it 

 seems by nature fitted to satisfy the pride and 

 the pleasure of man ; and formed to be taken 

 into his service. Hitherto, however, it appears 

 to have disdained servitude, and neither force 

 nor kindness have been able to wean it from its 

 native independence and ferocity. But this wild- 

 ness might, perhaps, in time be surmounted j and 



