604 
NATURE 
[April 26, 1883 
and reagents which the microscopist should have at his 
command, as well as of the mode of examination of 
microscopic objects. In the second department the 
editor has been again assisted by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley 
in the cryptogamic articles, and by Prof. Rupert Jones in 
those on Geology and on Foraminifera, as well as by 
other specialists. To put new wine into old wine-skins is 
proverbially an unsatisfactory proceeding ; and we do not 
know that it has been more successful here than else- 
where. We are far from saying that the syndicate who 
have assisted the editor have not contributed much from 
their vast stores to bring down the work to the date which 
it now bears on its title-page ; but in some of the articles 
which we have had occasion to consult for work that we 
have happened to have in hand, the most recent observa- 
tions are certainly not alluded to, and the system of 
classification is not the best or newest. But granting 
these defects, the work is one which no practical micro- 
scopist can afford to be without, and which must always 
lie on his table for ready reference. The present edition 
is enriched by five new plates, and some new woodcuts. 
A. W.B 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, 
or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. 
No notice is taken of anonymous communications. 
[The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters 
as short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great 
that it is impossible otherwise to insure the appearance even 
of communications containing interesting and novel facts. | 
Speke and Grant’s Zebra 
In or about 1882 a zebra was presented to the French Govern- 
ment by King Menelik of Shoa (which is in lat. 10° N., south- 
eastof Abyssinia). It differed in certain respects from zebras 
hitherto supposed to have been described, and being regarded 
therefore as a new species or variety was named by Mr. Milne 
Edwards Zguus Grevyi, after the President of the French 
Republic. 
The species of zebra hitherto known were Z. guagga, £. 
Burchelli, and E, zebra. The new one recently received in 
Paris apparently approximates to #. zebra, but the arrangement 
of the stripes, which are more numerous and more closely set, 
especially on the haunches, as well as its geographical distri- 
bution, seem to give sufficiently distinctive characters to entitle 
it to rank as a new species or variety.! 
In a recent communication to the Zoological Society of Lon- 
don, Col. A. Grant, C.B., F.R.S., has called attention to the 
fact that the late Capt. Speke and he observed, hunted, and shot 
zebras during their expedition (chiefly in the lake regions of 
Equatorial Africa) in 1860-63, which from his deseription are 
either identical with the zebra from Shoa, or, if not, are entitled 
to be considered as a new species or variety. 
Col. Grant has described the animal both in his notes written 
during the expedition and also in a paper to the Geographical 
Society in 1872, of which extracts are subjvined. 
Should further examination an! comparison show that the 
zebra described by Grant in 1861, and again in 1872, is identical 
with the Paris animal, it would seem that priority of discovery, 
although hitherto unclaimed, is due in title, as it is in fact, to 
Speke and Grant. If, on the other hand, the animal described 
by them should turn out to be distinct from any other form yet 
described, it would appear to have a claim to be named after 
these discoverers.” 
The following extracts from Col. Grant’s notes and papers 
addressed to the Geographical Suciety—written many years ago 
—appear to substantiate Speke and Grant’s claim to the dis- 
covery and description of a new variety of zebra :— 
‘It should be added that Z. Burchelli is the only zebra known to occur 
north of the equator, and that &. sebra has not been seen for many 
years. (Refer to figure in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, iv. p. 721, published 
April 1, 1883.) 
? It is possible that it may be a local variety of Z. zebra, hitherto found 
much further south. 
Speke and Grant's Expedition of 1860-63, from Fournal of 
Royal Geographical Soctety of London, 1872 
“ Equus zebra (2), Native name ‘ Phoonda.’—This animal 
was frequent in Ugogo, Unyamezi, and north of Uganda. He 
differs from the Agwus Burchelli of Regent’s Park Gardens in 
being larger and differently striped. The stripes of our zebra 
were black upon white (not yellow) ground, and extended to 
the hoofs, whereas Burchelli has broader stripes, yellow ground, 
and the stripes on the legs are few. However, a sketch of an 
old mare shot by me shows the same black muzzleand hog mane 
as Burchelli, and Mr. Blyth says my sketch is of this last 
species.” ? 
From Notes of Expedition 
“Oct. 25, 1860,—Zebra shot through chest, shape superb, 
scarcely any pile, thickly striped over every inch of it, feet, legs, 
and all; fine hoofs, immense intestines. Flesh had quite the 
look of prime beef, ears rounded like deer’s; a mare. A 
second zebra brought in by Ruyter. This was at Zungomero, 
““Dec. 18.—Halt, in lat. 6° 22’ S., long. 30° 50’ E., altitude 
2500 feet to 3329 feet. Zebra spoor again. . . . Shot another 
zebra. 
** Dec. 21.—Again got zebras! .. . 
‘“Dees22.—— Do dOniere) - 
“Jan. 2, 1861.—Eight to ten zebras. 
“«Jan. 6.—Zebras came among camp donkeys.” . . . 
Recent Note by Co!. Grant, C.B., F.RS. 
‘© When we were shooting these zebras in Africa, we thought 
we were shooting the zebra which is common to Africa; but 
after our return, on my seeing Burchell’s at the Zoological 
Gardens, I felt convinced we had never seen a Burchell’s zebra ; 
I said so to Blyth, who looked at my sketch, but who never 
saw Speke’s specimens, and he seems to have called our 
zebras Burchell, As soon as I saw Speke’s specimens in 
1873, and on hearing Prof. Flower describe by drawings 
the various zebras, I brought forward the matter, and got 
Speke’s specimens up from Speke’s brother. My journal notices 
the stripes to be an inch apart all over the body, and ex-_ 
tended to the hoofs; but it says nothing of the marks on 
the haunches, though I believe that in our zebras, as well as in 
all other species, the haunch stripes are farther than an inch 
apart.” 
“The twelve zebras which were shot by the Speke and Grant 
expedition in 1861-3, were found at the undermentioned places 
in Africa :— 
Places. Lat. Long. Alt. ae Sea. 
i im 5 eet. 
Zungomero) =. 7 27S. --. 37) 30\E- 516 
Jiwcla M’koa 6 OS, ... 34 OF. 4690 
Rubuga Oia tae Se} Clic 3402 
Usui District... 2 49S. ... 32 OE. About 4000 
Uganda District 0 52N. ... 32 30E. About 4000 
‘*The zebras pasture in the forest and also in open country 
which is covered with bushy jungle, or where granite crops up, 
as this bears the richest grass, whilst hills with running water 
are always within their access.” 
However the zebras in question may be named, it seems right 
that the facts connected with Speke and Grant’s discovery 
should be known. J. FAYRER 
April 17 
Leaves and their Environment 
I AM taking steps to have some analyses instituted, by a highly 
qualified authority, of the atmosphere (or water) in the natural 
environment of certain typical plants, in order, if possible, to 
produce experimental evidence upon the points impugned by 
Prof. Thiselton Dyer. The results of such (necessarily very 
inconclusive) evidence I shall publish in NATURE, if the Editor 
will grant me space, whether they are favourable or otherwise to 
my own allegations. 
Meanwhile, as Prof, Dyer has himself relied upon purely 
a priori considerations, may I urge (1) that in the papers them- 
selves I did not overlook the other factors of the problem to 
which he alludes ; (2) that in woods, hedgerows, and thickets, 
the air is generally very still ; (3) that the layer of air from time 
to time in actual contact with the surface of plants must always 
be in course of being deprived of its carbonic acid ; and (4) that 
Evidently Blyth was mistaken, as the zebra was thickly striped on the 
| legs, which is not the case with £.; Burchell. 
