CHAPTEE VI. 

 THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. 



{Equus zehra. LinncBus.) 



The species of the Equid^e distinguislied by their bodies 

 being marked by stripes are restricted in their geographical 

 range to the African Continent. They were formerly, by 

 some naturalists, regarded as constituting a distinct genus 

 [Silipotigris) , differentiated from the other asses by their 

 stripes; bat, as is generally recognised, mere variations in 

 colour and markings do not constitute good generic 

 differences, and the zebras are now regarded as con- 

 stituting one genus (Equus) with the horses and asses. 

 The fact that all species of this group are occasionally 

 more or less marked with stripes is in itself a fact opposed 

 to their presence being regarded as a good generic 

 distinction. 



The mountain zebra — the Wilde Paard, or wild horse 

 of the old Dutch African colonists — was the one which 

 was first made known to Europeans, and, being formerly 

 abundant in the mountainous parts of the Cape Colony, 

 was called the common zebra ; but now, owing to the 

 advance of the colonists, it has become rare, and during 

 the whole time that the Zoological Society has been in 

 existence it has received but three specimens, one of 

 which was acquired in 1864, being presented by Sir P. 

 Woodhouse, the Governor of the Colony, the second 



