Species and Subspecies of Zebras. 37 
Most of the distinctive characters of this species are well 
known. 
The head, neck, body, and legs are closely covered with 
broad black stripes, which are considerably broader than the 
pale interspaces. Hxcept for the longitudinal ventral band, 
the belly is white, the flank-stripes stopping short of the 
belly as in the quagga, Burchell’s zebra, and Grévy’s zebra. 
The spinal stripe is scarcely noticeable on the back, but 
broadens on the rump and is continued on to the tail, which 
has a black tip but is without distinct lateral markings. The 
legs are strongly striped to the hoof, the lower part of the 
pastern being quite black, and on the inner side are orna- 
mented from above the knees and hocks. On the rump the 
space between the spinal stripe and the stripe that runs to the 
root of the tail is entirely covered with transverse bars, forming 
a continuous series with the upper ends of the flank-stripes, 
and becoming shorter and shorter towards the root of the 
tail. This constitutes the so-called “ gridiron pattern” 
characteristic of this species. A similar pattern, however, 
though on a smaller scale, is not unfrequently noticeable in 
subspecies of 4. Burchelli; but in the latter the aforesaid 
transverse bars do not reach the stripe that runs to the base of 
the tail, but the uppermost of the rump-stripes that passes 
backwards from the flanks and lies adjacent to the spinal 
stripe. The quarters are banded with arched longitudinal 
stripes, but only the lower or front ends of the two upper-, 
most of these extend on to the belly. On the face in front of 
the eyes and on the forehead the stripes are tan-coloured and 
pass into the large nostril-patches of the same tint, the muzzle 
itself being black. 
The ears are long and asinine, the feet narrow and fitted 
for rocky country ; and, lastly, there is one curious structural 
feature in which this species differs not only from the other 
zebras but from all the species of Hquidee—this is the reversal 
in direction of the hair along the spine between the rump and 
withers. 
Though formerly abundant in the mountainous districts of 
Cape Colony, this species is now verging on extinction. 
Happily, however, the artificial preservation of herds has 
postponed, at all events for a time, this inevitable result of 
the encroachment of civilization. 
(2) Equus quagga, Gmelin. 
Equus quagga, Gmelin’s edition of Linné’s Syst. Nat. 1., Mammalia, 
p. 213 (1788). 
P Equus isabellinus, H. Smith, Naturalist’s Library, Horses, p. 332 
pl. xxv. (1841). 
