HORSES. 503 



Lastly, we have the well-known Suffolk punch of East Anglia, 

 famed for its steadiness of draught, and the pertinacity with which it 

 will exert itself against a dead pull. The original breed derived its name from the 

 stout and " punchy " form, and was further distinguished by the colour being light 

 dun or sorrel, sometimes darkening to chestnut, with lighter mane and tail. The 

 height was medium, the pace rather slow, but the power of endurance very great, 

 and the constitution hardy. The form was, however, somewhat ugly, the head 

 being large, with a coarse muzzle, the neck short, and the shoulder low and heavy. 

 On the other hand, the limbs were short, and the back straight, with wide loins 

 ami well-developed haunches. The breed, which has of late years been much 

 modified by mixture, is believed to have been introduced from Normandy ; and 

 Low is of opinion that its dun or sorrel colour indicates a near affinity with the 

 wild tarpan of the Asiatic steppes. 



Among well-known Continental breeds, the percheron, repre- 

 ' sented on p. 501, while somewhat deficient in bulk and strength, 

 is remarkable for its energy and pluck. Belgium possesses two distinct original 

 breeds known as the Ardennes breed, from the valley of the Meuse, and the Frisian, 

 from the sea-coast. By crossing there has been produced the Brabancon horse, 

 which although inferior in bulk and strength to the Clydesdale, has more breed 

 and energy. Harnessed to heavy country carts, weighing about 3000 lbs., they 

 will drag a load of from 6000 to 10,000 lbs. on the level ; and thus vastly exceed in 

 power the original light Ardennes horse, which is fast disappearing. 



The Zebras (Equus zebra, etc.). 



The three species of zebra, together with the quagga, form a group agreeing 

 in essential character with the asses, but distinguished by their more or less 

 completely striped heads and bodies. In both these groups the mane is erect, 

 and the upper part of the tail is free from long hairs ; while there are naked 

 callosities on the fore-limbs only, and the ears are longer, the head relatively 

 larger, and the hoofs narrower than in the horse. 



The true or mountain zebra (E. zebra) is the typical repre- 

 sentative of the striped group, and is essentially an inhabitant of hilly 

 districts. It is the smallest of the three species, standing from 4 feet to 4 feet 2 

 inches (12 to 12^ hands) at the withers, and has relatively long ears and a compara- 

 tively short mane, with the tail but scantily haired. The general ground-colour of 

 the hair is white, while the stripes are black, and the lower part of the face is 

 bright brown. With the exception of the under-parts of the body and the inner 

 sides of the thighs, the whole of the head, body, and limbs, as well as the upper 

 part of the tail, are striped. On the hind-quarters, the dark longitudinal stripe 

 running down the middle of the back is connected with the uppermost of the 

 oblique longitudinal stripes by a series of transverse bars, which are wanting in the 

 next species : and there may be a longitudinal stripe running up the middle of 

 the chest. This species was originally common in the mountains of the Cape 

 Colony, but has now been exterminated except in some of the districts on the 

 east side. Here a few herds remain on the summits of the Zwartberg, 



