THE ZEBRA. 99 



in taming and breaking them. But, as Major 

 Stevenson-Hamilton very truly observes, it will 

 be impossible in less than several generations of 

 careful experimenting to evolve a type of hybrid 

 which will prove of practical utility. What 

 should operate as a powerful incentive to per- 

 severance, however, are the two important con- 

 siderations that the zebra is impervious to the 

 bite of the tsetse fly and also to horse-sickness, 

 to both of which the horse and his relatives 

 usually succumb ; and although a hybrid form 

 might possibly not retain the zebra's immunity 

 from these two terrible scourges, the probability 

 of his freedom from power to contract them would, 

 it is thought, undoubtedly be largely enhanced 

 by conducting the experiments in portions of the 

 cotmtry where the influence of these diseases 

 continues to be felt. At Naivasha, in the East 

 Africa Protectorate, a zebra farm of some import- 

 ance has been established for many years. I have 

 not heard, however, that experiments have been 

 made with a view to obtaining such results as I 

 have referred to above, whilst the hability of the 

 animals to attack and decimation by a curious 

 species of intestinal worm has been found a source 

 of great embarrassment to the Department of 

 the Government concerned. 



In Zambezia, horses are few ; but in spite of 

 that fact no attempt has as yet been made either 

 to capture or to utiUse the zebra in any way. 

 Many, I regret to say, are shot both by natives for 

 the meat, of which they are extremely fond, and 

 by Europeans for the skins, which they do not 



