98 ZEBRAS, HORSES, AND HYBRIDS 



South Africa, is now known not to be the direct cause 

 of the disease which follows its puncture, but to be 

 the means by which the organism which causes the 

 disease is introduced into the body. In this respect 

 the tsetse fly resembles the malarial mosquito. It is 

 not thought that the organism — a haematozoon — 

 passes through any of the stages of its life-history 

 within the body of the fly, but that the proboscis of 

 that insect merely acts like an inoculating needle. 

 An answer to the important question, Are zebra- 

 hybrids fly -proof or not? has been attempted. 

 Professor Ewart generously allowed an experiment 

 to be tried on two of his hybrids, which were in- 

 oculated with the haematozoon, supplied from the 

 Pathological Laboratory at Cambridge. The result 

 was unfortunate, for, although the hybrids resisted 

 the disease far longer than a mare which was also 

 inoculated as a control experiment, both ultimately 

 succumbed. 



There is no doubt that it is- a comparatively easy 

 matter to breed these hybrids, and that they are not 

 only extremely attractive animals to the eye, but hardy 

 and vigorous, possessed of great staying powers, and 

 promising to be capable of severe work. It is recog- 

 nized that one of the gravest difficulties which th^ 

 Indian Army Corps has to contend with is the paucity 

 of mules, both for transport and mountain-battery 

 work ; and at the time of the South African War 

 a Commission was busily employed purchasing mules 

 both in Italy and in Texas, and elsewhere. Should 

 these hybrids turn out as well as they at present 

 promise, they may fill a want which is acutely felt 

 by those responsible for the conduct of our frequent 

 ' small wars,' and, if bred largely in East Africa, may, 

 as Colonel Lugard suggested, prove a source of wealth 

 and revenue in the future. 



