942 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



Figs 



ind 3. THE l'KZKWALSKY STALLION 



Showing the light buff muzzle, deep dun coloring, erect black mane, short ears and small, inexpressive eyes similar 



to those depicted by the artists of the Old Stone Age of France. The back view shows the dark brown 



dorsal stripe curried down on the upper portion of the 4 tail, whichlis covered with short, dun-colored hair. 



well stand as a warning that even now other 

 species may remain to be discovered. 



The living wild eqnines of the world are con- 

 fined to Africa and Asia. The area inhabited 

 by them extends from the Cape of Good Hope 

 throughout the eastern half of Africa, and from 

 Egypt northeastwardly to the geographical 

 center of Asia, at Lake Baikal. In Africa the 

 range of the zebras and asses is practically con- 

 tinuous from Cape Colony to Suakin, on the 

 Red Sea, but in Asia, the wild equines now 

 occur in isolated areas, sometimes rather widely 

 separated. 



Viewed from any point that may be chosen, 

 the wild equines of the world form a zoologi- 

 cal group of paramount interest to mankind, and 

 well worth}' of the great effort that has been 

 made in the Zoological Park adequately to set 

 it forth for the benefit of the public. 



After two years of careful study and con- 

 struction, the new Zebra House was opened to 

 the public on November 15, 1912, with a really 

 remarkable collection of wild horses and zebras, 

 and one species of Asiatic ass. All the animals 

 are in fine physical condition and the Przewal- 

 sky wild horse and the Grant zebra are breed- 

 ing regularly. The wild horse is accustomed to 

 the rigorous climate of northern Asia, to much 

 greater extremes of temperature than those 

 which it experiences in the Park. On the other 

 hand, the Grant zebra has been taken from the 

 plateau country of Africa, directly under the 

 Equator, and its acclimatization and fertility in 

 the Zoological Park are matters of great 

 interest. 



Wild 

 Horses. 



Wild 



Asses. 



Zebras. 



A complete list of the wild equines now or 

 very recently shown in the Park, and the prin- 

 cipal geographic range of each, is as follows : 



Przewalsky Horses, Eqaus przewal- 

 sJeii. Desert of Gobi, Central 

 Asia. 



Persian Wild Ass, Equus hemippus. 

 Deserts of S. Persia, and Arabia. 



Kiang, Equus hemionus. N. Asia; 

 Trans-Baikal Region. 



Grew Zebra, Equus grevyi. Abys- 

 sinia and Br. E. Africa. 



Grant's Zebra, Equus granti. Brit- 

 ish East Africa. 



Chapman Zebra, Equus burchelli 

 j chapmani. Central South Africa. 

 [ Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra. Cape 

 Colony, S. Africa. 



The Przewalsky Wild Horse, otherwise 

 known as the Steppe horse, and nearest relative 

 of the domestic horse, is readily distinguished 

 from all modern domesticated breeds by the 

 entire absence of the forelock and by the fact 

 that the mane rises along the neck like a crest 

 exactly as in the zebras and asses, and does not 

 fall over on one side, as in the domestic horse. 

 The large head, rather short and truly horse- 

 like ears, small and inexpressive eyes, and light 

 buff-colored muzzle are well shown in Fig. 2. 

 The body is uniformly colored, with a dark 

 brown dorsal stripe. Sometimes there are faint 

 horizontal stripings on the legs. 



Another very distinctive feature, well shown 

 in Fig. 3, is the short, stiff hair on the upper 



