THE ZEBRA*. 



WHETHER we confider fymmetry of 

 fhape, or beauty of colours, the zebra 

 is perhaps the mod elegant of all quadrupeds. 

 In this animal, the figure and gracefulnefs of the 

 horfe a^e united with the nimblenefs of the ftag. 

 His robe is adorned with black and white belts 

 or ribands, alternately diipofed, with fuch regu- 

 larity and exacl: proportion, that Nature feems 

 here to have employed the rule and the compafs. 

 Thefe alternate bands of black and white are the 

 more lingular, becaufe they are ftraight, parallel, 

 and as nicely feparated as thofe of a ftriped 

 ilufF. Belides, they extend not only over the 

 body, but the head, thighs, legs, and even the 



cars 



* The zebra has a fhort erec"r mane ; the tail is furnifhed 

 with long hairs at the end ; and the whole body is beautiful- 

 ly ftriped, from the back to the belly, with lines of brown, 

 on a very pale buff ground. It is the moft elegant of all qua- 

 drupeds ; Pennant's Syncpf. of quad p. 2. 



It is called Zebra, Zevera, and Sebra, in Congo ; and, ac- 

 cording to Pyrard, Efyre in Angola. 



Pulcher onager; Martial. Epig. lib. xii. 101. Oppian. Cj- 



neg. iii. 183. 



Zebra; Nieremlerg. p. 168. Raii Sy nop f. quad, p. 64. Klein. 

 quad, p- 5. Aldrovand. de quad, folid- p. 416. 



Le Zebre, ou Pane raye ; BriJJon. quad. p. 70. 



Equus zebra, fafciis fufcis verficolor ; Linn. Syjl. Nat. p. 

 201. 



Wild afsj Kolben't Cape of Good Hope, vol. z. p. 1x2. 



