THE HORSE TRIBE 173 
The QuaAGGA, which became 
extinct about thirty years ago, 
never had a very extended range, 
but in the early part of the 
last century it existed in great 
numbers on all the upland plains 
of the Cape Colony to the west 
of the Kei River, and in the 
open treeless country lying be- 
tween the Orange and Vaal 
Rivers. North of the Vaal it 
appears to have been unknown. 
The quagga seems to have 
been nearly allied to Burchell’s 
zebra — especially to the most 
southerly form of that species — 
but was much darker in general Gee, 
colour, being of a dark rufous ek Be Percy Ashenden 
brown on the neck and upper- ZEBRAS ON TABLE MOUNTAIN 
parts of the body, becoming Another South African photograph. Notice Cape Town in the far distance 
lighter on the sides, and fading 
off.to white beneath and behind. Instead of being striped, too, over the whole body, it was 
only strongly banded on the head and neck, the dark brown stripes becoming fainter on the 
shoulders and dying away in spots and blotches. On the other hand, in size and build, in 
the appearance of its mane, ears, and tail, and in general habits, it seems to have nearly 
resembled its handsomer relative. The barking neigh ‘ qua-ha-ha, qua-ha-ha” seems, too, to 
have been the same in both species. The word “ quagga” is pronounced in South Africa 
“qua-ha,” and is of Hottentot origin, being an imitation of the animal’s neighing call. To-day 
Burchell’s zebras are invariably called Qua-has by both Boers and British colonists. 
WILD ASSES 
The true asses are without stripes 
on the head, neck, and body, with the 
exception of a dark streak down the 
back from the mane to the tail, which 
is present in all members of the group, 
and in some cases a dark band across 
the shoulders and irregular markings 
on the legs. 
In Africa the wild ass is only 
found in the desert regions of the 
north-eastern portion of that continent, 
being an inhabitant of Abyssinia, 
Somaliland, Gallaland, the Soudan, and 
the arid districts bordering the Red 
Sea. The form of wild ass found in 
Somaliland differs in some respects from 
QUAGGA its near relative of the Nubian Desert, 
in that it is of a paler colour, has the 
This is, we believe, the only known photograph from life of this very rare : : : 
animal. ” There will probably never be another, for the quagga is generally dorsal stripe but faintly marked, and is 
supposed to be extinct without a cross stripe over the shoulders, 
12 
Photo by York & Son 
