NATURAL HISTORY. 165 



even with rifles the chase is very uncertain. The Persians es- 

 teem its flesh very highly, considering it one of their greatest 

 delicacies. Sir R. Ker Porter gives an amusing account of an 

 unsuccessful chase after a wild ass, which he could not over- 

 take, although mounted on a very swift Arabian horse. This 

 animal, called the Dzigguetai, is also found in India, and is 

 quite as difficult to secure as its relations in Persia. 



There is a mixed breed between the Horse and the Ass, call- 

 ed the Mule, an animal in no very great request in this coun- 

 try, but extensively used in the East for riding, and in Spain it 

 is the established beast of burden. It is very surefooted, and is 

 on that account employed in the Andes instead of the Llama. 



Zebra, the Zebra. 



The ZEBRA is found in South Africa. This beautiful ani- 

 mal lives in troops among the mountains, shunning the pres- 

 ence of man. It is a very conspicuous animal, and easily dis- 

 tinguished by the regular stripes of brownish black with which 

 its whole body is covered even down to the hoofs. It is very 

 \vilcl and suspicious, carefully placing sentinels to look out fcr 



