990 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON HYBRID FOALS. 



all Zebras. A iiairow black spinal stripe extends from the mane 

 to the black tip of the tail, but it is indistinct over the hind 

 quarters and on the upper side of the tail where the hair is long, 

 and recalls the dorsal and caudal mane or crest seen in the foal 

 of Grevy's Zebra. There are a very distinct black shoulder-stripe 

 and a few abbreviated stripes both in front and behind it; thei-e 

 are also indistinct traces of close-set stripes on the lower border 

 of the neck and a deep black belly stripe ; but for the rest the 

 body is unstriped and of a tolerably uniform sandy fawn colour 

 all over, like that of the sire. Both front and hind legs are 

 marked with strong black stripes, broader and more numerous 

 than in the sire but much less numerous and more widely spaced 

 than in the dam. On the inside of the legs they extend just 

 above the knees (carjnts) and hocks (tarsios), but externally those 

 of the hind leg reach almost to the stifle-joint (knee), while those 

 on the front leg reach to about the same height. The callosities 

 on the fi-ont leg are of medium size, being much smaller relatively 

 than in the dam, but actually of about the same size as in the 

 sire ; and, as in the latter, there is no dewlap and the hairs along 

 the spine project backwai'ds. 



In general appearance this foal, which is a female, decidedly 

 favours the sire on account of the absence of stripes on the body 

 and the sandy fawn ground-colour. But it may be noted that 

 in the presence of the spinal stripe, the shoulder-stripe, and the 

 stripe on the base of the ear, it shows much greater similarity to 

 the typical form of African Ass, as exemplified by domestic 

 breeds, than to the race to which its sire belongs. 



Whether the stripes will become more numerous as age 

 advances, remains to be seen. 



This appears to be the first record of the birth of a hybrid 

 between the Somaliland Ass and the Mountain Zebra. Several 

 crosses between the domestic Ass and this Zebra have, howevei', 

 been described. The best extant account was given by F. Cuvier 

 (Hist. Nat. Mamm. iii, pi. 315, 1824), who accurately described 

 and figured a hybrid produced by a male black Spanish Ass and 

 a female Mountain Zebra. This animal agreed very closely with 

 the one just born in the Gardens, except that the ground colour, 

 when the animal was fourteen years old, was dark grey even on 

 the legs and there were distinct spots on the basal half of the tail. 

 The distribution of stripes was practically the same in the two ; 

 and Cuvier's figure shows no dewlap on the throat. The 

 extension of a crest of hair along the spine from the mane to the 

 tail and the presence of the basal stripe on the ear were noticed by 

 this author. The difierence between this specimen and the one 

 born in the Gardens in colour of the body and legs is probably to 

 be explained by the blackness of the coat of the sire ; but 

 St, Hilaire, who saw the foal when newly born, mentioned that 

 its general colour was yellowish chestnut ; at two years, however j. 

 it was grey and this tint was retained until death. The period 



