HORSES. 505 



in the districts to the south of the Botletli River, to the north of the Kalahari, while 

 in wet seasons a few range further south into the latter district ; and it is common 

 on the plains of the Chobi and Zambesi, as well as in East Africa. How far north- 

 wards it extends does not appear to be ascertained. 



Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington state that zebras of this species " may sometimes 

 be found in herds of from fifty to one hundred, but more often numbering from 

 ten to fifteen, and they are commonly found associating with ostriches, blue wilde- 

 beests, and hartebeests. On being hunted, and if not urged too much at the start, 

 they keep generally in single file, the stallions being in front ; but when hard 

 pursued they run more in a lump, and at such times it requires a really good horse 

 to overtake them. When one is wounded, it will invariably separate from the 

 remainder of the troop. The neigh of this species resembles in sound the subdued 

 whining bark of a dog. The flesh, although unpalatable to Europeans, is much 

 relished by the natives, on account of its containing a quantity of yellow fat. A 

 large number of these zebras are also slaughtered for the sake of their hides, while 

 others fall a prey to lions, who seem to have a great partiality for horse-flesh." It is 

 this species of zebra which is the one commonly met with in menageries. Many 

 attempts have been made to break it to harness; and, in the Transvaal, teams 

 composed partly of mules and partly of zebras have of late years been worked 

 more or less successfully. Zebras were known to the ancients under the name of 

 hippotigris, and were exhibited from time to time in the Roman circus ; such 

 individuals not improbably belonging to the next species. 



All who have seen zebras in their native haunts, speak of the beautiful 

 appearance presented by a drove, as they stand for a moment to gaze at the hunter, 

 and then wheel round to seek safety in flight ; and as they afford but unsatisfactory 

 trophies, it seems a pity that so many are killed for the mere sake of sport. It 

 has been stated that, when standing on sandy ground in full moonlight, a zebra 

 harmonises so exactly with the colour of its surroundings as to be quite invisible 

 at a short distance. 



The third representative of the group is Grevy's zebra {E. grevyi), 

 from the mountains northwards of the Victoria Nyanza, and thence 

 onwards to the highlands of Shoa and Somaliland, which has only been made 

 known to science within the last few years. This species is a taller and slimmer 

 animal than the true zebra, with which, however, it agrees in having the limbs 

 striped right down to the hoofs, in the absence of stripes on the under-parts of the 

 body, and the long ears. On the other hand, it resembles Burchell's zebra in the 

 long mane and abundantly-haired tail. It is distinguished from both by the much 

 greater number of the stripes, which are very narrow, deep black in colour, and 

 separated by equally narrow white streaks. The arrangement of the stripes is, 

 moreover, quite different, those which run transversely across the sides occupying 

 a much greater extent of the body, and the obliquely longitudinal ones on the 

 haunches being proportionately shortened. 



Colonel J. A. Grant, who in company with his fellow-explorer, 



Speke, first met with these zebras in the mountains north of the 



Victoria Nyanza, writes that they are found in herds comprising from two to nine 



individuals. " One of their number, probably the largest male, takes general charge 



