THE ZEBHA AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GAUDEN8. 175 



vicious horses, it may form a portion of the policy of 

 the Zoological Society to excite the animal to a display 

 of his vicious propensities, for the sake of gratifying a 

 morbid taste ; for I am sure no benefit can ever accrue 

 to the animal, or to those who take a delight in such 

 unnatural treatment as that to which the zebra appears 

 to be regularly subjected by his keeper. 



The loose box, or, as Mr. Rarey has it, the den of the 

 zebra, is about eight feet square, fenced off with a lattice, 

 through which he can pass his muzzle. And this he 

 frequently did, without the least display of those worry- 

 ing propensities which we have been told he possessed; 

 indeed, when I passed my hand down his forehead, he 

 appeared anxious for a repetition of the soothing, and 

 evidently en joy edit. But his keeper seemed bent upon 

 irritating his temper as much as possible, and for this 

 purpose he was armed with a pole about seven feet long, 

 barbed at the end with iron, in shape similar to a boat- 

 hook. "With this he continually kept poking the animal 

 on the loins and thighs, and the zebra responded in 

 much the same manner as the most patient donkey 

 would have done when subjected to the same ridiculous 

 treatment. " Oh ! ain't he a vicious brute," said that 

 portion of the enlightened spectators who had heard 

 through the newspapers of Mr. Earey and " the wild 

 zebra of the African Desert;" The " stirring him up 

 with the long pole" appeared to be a part of the keeper's 

 duty ; and most assiduous he was, too, in its performance; 

 for during the ten minutes I remained, he never allowed 



