THE ZEBRA OF THE PLAINS. 179 
which this new arrangement was proposed, the beautiful 
animal which we have now to describe was first specifi- 
cally distinguished by Mr. Gray from the Common Zebra, 
with which it had previously been confounded, and cha- 
racterized by him under the name of the Asinus Bur- 
chellii. Still there exists so much confusion between the 
two Zebras, many naturalists falling into the same error 
with Mr. Burchell, who first remarked the distinction 
between them, and regarding the present animal as the 
Zebra of zoologists, and the common one in reality as 
the new species; while others have absolutely counter- 
changed a part of the characters of each, and thus made 
confusion worse confounded; that we cannot do better 
than describe with some little detail the markings of the 
individual now before us. 
The ground colour of its whole body is white, inter- 
rupted by a regular series of broad black stripes extend- 
ing from the back across the sides, with narrower and 
fainter ones intervening between each. Over the haunches 
and shoulders these stripes form a kind of bifurcation, 
between the divisions of which there are a few transverse 
lines of the same colour ; but these suddenly and abruptly 
cease, and are not continued on the legs, which are per- 
fectly white. Along the back there is a narrow longitu- 
dinal line, bordered on each side with white. The mane 
1s throughout broadly and deeply tipped with black, and 
is marked by a continuation of the transverse bands of 
the neck. The lines of the face are narrow and beauti- 
fully regular; from the centre of the forehead they 
radiate downwards over the eyes; along the front of the 
muzzle they are longitudinal, the outer ones having a 
curve outwards; and on the sides they form broader 
N2 
