78 



THE HORSE 



European settlers have escaped into the unreclaimed 

 lands and multiplied to a prodigious extent, roaming in 

 vast herds over the plains where no hoofed animal ever 

 trod before. 



The nearest approach to truly wild horses existing 

 at present are the so-called Tarpans, which occur 

 in the steppe-country north of the Sea of AzofF, 

 between the river Dnieper and the Caspian. They 

 are described as being of small size, dun colour, with 

 short mane and rounded, obtuse nose. There is no 

 evidence to prove whether they are really wild — that 

 is, descendants of animals which have never been 

 domesticated — or feral — that is, descended from ani- 

 mals which have escaped from captivity, like the horses 

 that roam over the plains of America and Australia, and 

 the wild boars that now inhabit the forests of New 

 Zealand. 



Darwin infers that, aboriginally, the horse must have 

 inhabited countries annually covered with snow, for he 

 long retains the instinct of scraping it away with his 

 fore-feet to get at the herbage beneath. Cattle, on 

 the other hand, not having this instinct, perish when 

 left to themselves when the ground is long covered 

 with snow. 



Equus przewalskii, Poliakof. — Much interest, not yet 

 thoroughly satisfied, has been excited among zoologists 

 by the announcement (in 1881) by M. Poliakof of the 



