WILD TARPAN AND ITS RELATIONS 91 



is not quite a fair comparison, as the pony was 

 an older animal than the tarpan, and the length of 

 the tooth-row shortens with age. It is noteworthy 

 that there appears to be no greater tendency to 

 develop the small first upper premolar, or wolf- 

 tooth, in the tarpan than in ordinary domesti- 

 cated horses. 



Relying on the local colour-differences referred 

 to above, Dr. P. Matschie,^ of the Berlin Museum, 

 has expressed the opinion that there are two kinds 

 of tarpan, namely Equus przevalskii, with a dun- 

 yellow colour, very dark mane, and black legs, which 

 he considers to be restricted to the neighbourhood of 

 Zagan-nor, a lake lying to the south-east of Kobdo. 

 On the other hand, the tarpan of the Urungu district 

 to the west of Kobdo, and the valley of the Ebi, 

 which are lighter in colour, with no black on the 

 front of the legs, and a lighter mane, have been 

 named by him E. hagenbecki. There can, however, 

 be little doubt that the difference between the two 

 types is due to an admixture of blood ; and it is 

 highly significant that the one which departs from 

 the typical form occupies the western area or, in 

 other words, is nearer to districts where there were 

 formerly herds of half-bred tarpan. At the con- 

 clusion of his memoir on the tarpan, Dr. Salensky 



^ "Gibt es in Mittelasienmehrere Arten von Echten Wildpferden?" 

 Naturwissenschaftliche Wochenschrift, Berlin, vol. xviii. pp. 581-583, 

 1903. 



