THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 75 



\_Thts species of Zebra of tens attains a height of ijVs hands at 

 the withers. The shape of the head resembles, and the hoofs are 

 almost similar to the horse. General colour above varies very much, 

 in some being nearly pure white, in others approaching to chocolate; 

 the alternate black transverse stripes join zmderneath the belly, 

 and becoming less distinct down the outer sides of the legs, finally 

 disappear in ivhite before reaching the fetlocks; inside of legs 

 usually white, but in some cases fairly banded; the mane, commencing 

 well out on the forehead, ends low on the shoulder, and is long, 

 thick, regular, fully erect, and banded alternately with black and 

 white. The spoor is difficult to distinguish from that of a Basuto 

 pony."] 



Burchell's Zebra (commonly, but erroneously, called the " Quagga" 

 by almost every trader and hunter in the Interior) never at any 

 time ranged so far South as the Orange River. At the present day 

 it is practically exterminated in the Transvaal, although it is pro- 

 bable that a few herds still remain in the low country South of the 

 mouth of the Crocodile River. Frequenting only open level plains, 

 or those that are sparsely covered with bush, this Zebra is now 

 rarely seen in a direction South of the Botletle River, although after 

 heavy rains it is not uncommon to find a few straying farther into 

 the Kalahari. On the Botletle it is still quite plentiful, as also along 

 the Mababe Flats and the level country along the Chobe and Zam- 

 besi, otherwise in favourable localities, and where not driven out by 

 natives, Boers, and sometimes European hunters and prospectors, it 

 may still be found in numbers. 



Fault can scarcely be found for shooting the " Quagga," either for 

 the purpose of securing a specimen, or where it becomes a matter of 

 actual necessity to provide fresh meat for consumption on the road, 

 but otherwise the wanton and criminal destruction of this beautiful 

 animal by some so-called "sportsmen," is as much to be deplored as 

 it should be strongly condemned. When a person is heard to boast 

 of his prowess in having shot five or six, and wounded perhaps 

 double as many more, out of the same troop, we know that true 

 sport is over, and that disgusting slaughter has commenced. Unfor- 

 tunately these remarks are applicable to all other game, but more 

 especially so to this species of Zebra, as they approach the water 

 nightly for drinking purposes, and their fresh spoor being therefore 

 the more readily discovered, they may be hunted up with but little 



