ON burchell's zebra. 757 



41. The Local Races of Burchell's Zebra. By Major J. 

 Stevenson-Hamilton, C.M.Z.S., Game Warden of the 

 Transvaal. 



[Received April 1, 1912 : Read May 21, 1912.] 



(Text-figures 102-106.) 



Index. 



Page 



Variation 757 



Burchell's Zebra (Equits hurchelli) south of the Zambesi is 

 lasually divided by naturalists into several local races — tvahlbergi, 

 to-ansvaalensis., chwptnanni, selousi. These derive their subspecific 

 distinctions from certain assumed diSerences in their leg and body 

 striping as observed in museum specimens. Thus : — 



" In tvahlbergi the body stripes meet the ventral stripe 

 inferiorly, while the legs are more or less fully striped ; the shadow 

 stripes on the hind quarters are strongly developed and not much 

 narrower than the main stripes, wliich are narrower than the 

 intervening spaces, while the fetlocks and pasterns are devoid 

 of stripes and spots. A female zebra from the Transvaal 

 differing from the typical wahlbergi by the extension of the 

 shadow stripes to the neck, has been named £J. b. transvacdensis. 

 In E. b. chapmanni the shadow stripes have become faint and 

 narrow, the legs are marked to the hoofs, but the stripes on the 

 lower portions tend to break up into spots, and the inferior j)art 

 of the pasterns is not wholly black. This race inhabits the 

 country between Damaraland and Matabeleland. The last repre- 

 sentative of the species with distinct shadow stripes is the 

 Mashonaland bonte quagga (ii'. b. selousi), which differs from the 

 last in that the sti-iping of the legs is complete right down to 

 the hoofs, the pasterns being striped on both sides, and their 

 lower portion, owing to the fusion of several stripes, wholly 

 black. The sides of the tail are also striped." (Lydekker.) 



Long observation of the herds of Burchell's Zebra, running 

 in the Transvaal Game Reserves, has convinced me that all or 

 nearly all the above distinctions are found among them, frequently 

 in the same herd. I have often discussed the matter with 

 Dr. Gunning, of the Transvaal Museum, and have with him 

 examined skins and live specimens obtained from the "Western 

 and ]Srorthern Transvaal. There is no doubt that any of these 

 might, from their markings, have come from the Eastern part of 

 the Province. Among the herds found in the latter occurs a 

 very great variety of striping. Some animals show heavy, wide, 

 and deeply tinted shadow stripes, while others display only the 

 slightest indications of them. Some are strongly ringed down 

 to the fetlocks, while others have no signs at all of any markings 



Prog. Zool. Soc— 1912, No. LI. 51 



