THE ZEBRA IN CAPE COLONY. 



remote and rugged ranges of the Cape Colony ; 

 and at the present time, though sadly reduced in 

 numbers and in the limits of its occurrence, it may 

 be found in the Sneeuwberg, the Witteberg and 

 Zwart Ruggens, the Zwartberg, and Winterhoek 

 Mountains, and one or two other localities in the 

 Eastern province. Quite recently a troop was 

 running on the slopes of the Cockscomb, the highest 

 peak (7,000 feet in height) of the Winterhoek. 



The zebra, as all naturalists are aware, differs 

 widely from the zebra of Burchell {Equus Burchellit), 

 (the bonte quagga of the Boers, the piitzi of the 

 Bechuanas), and from the quagga {Equus quagga) or 

 quacha of the Hottentots. In the first place, its 

 colour and markings are widely different. The 

 zebra's body colour is of a beautiful silvery white, 

 and the black markings are distributed more evenly, 

 and extend to every part except the stomach and the 

 inner parts of the thighs ; even the legs are perfectly 

 ribanded in black and white. Upon the light clean 

 head (with the exception of the ears, upon which the 

 black and white markings continue) the markings 

 change to brown, while the muzzle is of a rich 

 bay tan colour. The ears and tail are distinctly 

 asinine, while in both Burchell's zebra and the 

 quagga they are of the equine type. In height, 

 too, the zebra, which only averages some twelve 

 hands at the shoulder, is inferior by some six inches 

 to its congeners. Contrasting, therefore, the colour 

 and markings of the true zebra with the sienna body 

 colour and brown striping of Burchell's zebra, and 

 the reddish-brown of the quagga^ — whose stripings, 

 by the way, only extend to a little behind the 

 shoulders — and further noticing its distinctive 



