REMARKS ON THE USE OF MULES. 143 



employment of Barchell's zebra in the Transvaal coaches, 

 and from the latest accounts he would seem to answer fairly 

 well, as he is said to suffer from neither of these ailments, 

 and, in addition, it has been found that the idea as to the 

 impossibility of taming and breaking the zebra is a perfect 

 myth. Zebras (BurchelFs) have been used in harness at 

 the Jardin d^Acclimatation and in the streets of Paris for 

 more than twenty years. In these circumstances it would 

 seem to be quite worth while to attempt the breeding of 

 zebra (Burchell's) mules from mares. It might, perhaps, 

 be said, " Why not breed them from donkey mares, inas- 

 much as the donkey is exempt equally with the zebra ? " 

 But mules so bred would not be fast enough for coaching 

 work, and would take too much '^ getting along.'' Zebra 

 hinnies would be better — i.e., bred from female Burchells 

 by a good Yorkshire hackney stallion. The hinny or 

 jennet is always a better beast for fast work than the mule. 

 Jennets may be seen trotting- along in almost any town or 

 village in the South of Ireland. If it is a fact that the 

 zebra and donkey are both " exempt,'' it might be worth 

 while to cross them in both ways, so as to produce both 

 mules and hinnies, which should all be very valuable for 

 pack work at least. These suggestions are offered for the 

 consideration of those whom it may concern in South 

 Africa. 



Three Burchell-zebra hinnies, bred from a female Burchell 

 by small horses, may be seen in Sir Henry Meux's park 

 at Theobalds, near Enfield, Middlesex. The hybrids 

 vary in height from 13 to 14 hands. They "^ favour" the 

 zebra in markings and conformation, and are well worthy 

 of inspection. 



In the chapter on ^' The American Mule" (page 116), an 

 exceedingly good article by Mr. J. L. Jones, of Columbia, 



