420 



THE ODD-TOED ANIMALS. 



Africa nor any part of the Congo district, with 

 the exception of the remotest southeastern portion. 

 The Quagga is found to the north of Cape Colony, 

 in the Kalahari and German possessions in south- 

 western Africa to the Cunene, as well as in the 

 Transvaal. Burchell's and Chapman's Zebras occur 

 nearer to the Zambesi and the Cunene. The Zebra, 

 on the contrary, preferring a mountainous country, 

 has a far wider range than its relatives: in Cape 

 Colony it maintains its foothold to the present day 

 and to the north it penetrates as far as Benguela in 

 the west, and to about the twelfth parallel of south 

 latitude in the east. 



The Zebras live gregariously. Generally they are 

 seen in groups of ten to thirty; but there are many 

 accounts of herds of them numbering hundreds 

 which when seen were probably in the act of migrat- 

 ing. Every different species is always met apart 

 from other species of the same family. Perhaps one 

 species of Zebra fears the other; but it is not afraid 

 of other animals. Thus all observers agree that 

 Quagga herds nearly always contain Spring-boks, 

 Gnus, Ostriches and also Buffalos. Ostriches in 

 particular are said to be the constant companions of 

 this species of wild Horse, doubtless because the 

 latter derive greater benefit from the wariness and 

 vigilance of those gigantic birds. 



All Zebras are exceedingly fleet, wary and timid 

 animals. They scour over hill and dale with wind- 

 like rapidity. A well-mounted rider finds it not 

 so very difficult to overtake a compact body of 

 fleeing Zebras, though a single individual easily es- 

 capes the swiftest rider. It is said that when the 

 pursuer succeeds in scattering the herd and separat- 

 ing the foals from their mothers, the young Quaggas 

 become willing captives and follow the Horses as 

 they did their mothers. There seems to exist a 

 certain friendship between the Zebras and the one- 

 hoofed domestic animals, for it is said that the Quag- 

 gas and Burchell's and Chapman's Zebras some- 

 times follow the Horses of traveling parties and 

 quietly graze among them. 

 Traits and Capa- The Zebras are not very fastidious 

 bilitiesof in the choice of their food; yet they 

 Zebras. are mQ re exacting than the Asses. 

 Their native country offers them sufficient nourish- 

 ment, and if food becomes scarce in one place, they 

 set out in search of more productive localities. 



The vocal expression of the Zebras is as different 

 from the neighing of the Horse as it is from the 

 braying sounds of the Ass. Cuvier says, that the 

 Quagga reiterates the syllables "oa oa"some twenty 

 times in succession, while other travelers describe 

 its cry with the words "qua qua;" or " quaha," which 

 also account for the origin of the Hottentot name of 

 the animal. The Dauw utters short sounds, some- 

 thing like "yu, yu," which, in captivity at least, are 

 rarely uttered more than three times in succession. 

 All the perceptive senses of the Zebras are acute. 

 The slightest noise fails to escape their ear, and 

 their eye is exceedingly keen and very rarely de- 

 ceived. In their mental attributes all are about on 

 a common plane. An unlimited love of freedom, 

 a mischievous disposition, a certain wildness, even 

 some malice and much courage are common charac- 

 teristics of them all. They valiantly defend them- 

 selves against the attacks of beasts of prey by kick- 

 ing and biting. Hyenas prudently let them alone. 

 Perhaps the powerful Lion is the only brute foe 

 which succeeds in overcoming a Zebra; the impu- 

 dent Leopard probably attacks only weak speci- 



mens. The worst enemy of the Zebras is Man. 

 The difficulty of the pursuit and the beautiful skin 

 of the animal, which serves a variety of purposes, 

 prompt Europeans to vigorously hunt this quite 

 harmless quarry. Europeans kill Zebras with bullets, 

 natives with javelins; more frequently, however, the 

 dainty creatures are taken in pitfalls and then either 

 killed with little trouble or consigned to captivity. 



The Zebras have been wrongly held to be untam- 

 able. The people who are properly qualified for the 

 undertaking have not occupied themselves suffi- 

 ciently with the subjugation of these magnificent 

 animals. A few attempts have been crowned with 

 success, others have failed. Quaggas have been 

 repeatedly trained to convey burdens and draw 

 carts. In England a couple of the beautiful animals 

 are recorded to have been tamed to such an extent 

 that they could be harnessed to a light carriage and 

 used like Horses. Other accounts, however, are to 

 contrary effect. Sparrmann relates the first attempt 

 of a rich settler in Cape Colony to break Zebras to 

 harness. He had reared several young Zebras and 

 seemed to be satisfied with their conduct and had 

 confidence in their docility. One day he bethought 

 himself of harnessing the pretty animals to his car- 

 riage. He took the lines himself, and set out with 

 his racers. The trip must have been accomplished 

 in a very short time; for the happy owner of the 

 Zebras presently found himself in their stable, to- 

 gether with the remnants of his carriage. This and 

 a few similar attempts rendered the settlers of Cape 

 Colony thoughtful, and convinced them that the 

 taming of Zebras is impossible. All intelligent ob- 

 servers do not doubt, however, that we will win the 

 Zebras to our service in the course of time. Bar- 

 row affirms that success would be assured if people 

 proceeded with more patience and circumspection 

 than do the peasants of the Cape. 



How the Zebra All species of Zebras bear confine- 

 Acts in Cap- ment in other than their native coun- 

 tiuity. tries without harmful results. They 



enjoy the best of health if they receive good food; 

 and if they are properly managed they propagate 

 their young even if kept within narrow confines. It 

 has been demonstrated that the Zebras may produce 

 cross-breeds with others of the one-hoofed tribe also. 

 So far the following cross-breeds have been pro- 

 duced: Zebra and female Ass; male Ass and Zebra; 

 half Ass (Mule or Hinny) with Zebra mare; half Ass 

 with Quagga, and Quagga with female Ass; also off- 

 spring of Zebra and female Ass, and offspring of Ass 

 and Zebra mare both breeding with a Pony. These 

 cases have proved the possibility of hybrids possess- 

 ing the power of propagating the species. 



Zbe ftaptr6. 



SECOND FAHILY: Tapirid^. 



We regard the Tapirs ( Tapiridce) as the family 

 most closely allied to the Horses, for though rela- 

 tively small animals, of a clumsy organization, their 

 kinship to the Horse family is instantly recognized 

 by eyes observant of natural affinities. They are 

 distinguished by a tolerably well-shaped body, with 

 long, slender head, a slender neck, a short, stub-like 

 tail and proportionately long, stout legs. The erect 

 ears are short and rather broad, while the slanting 

 eyes are small. The upper lip is elongated into a 

 prehensile proboscis or trunk, which hangs down far 



