Z E R 
ZOO 
Thibet, and in Tartary. Gorblllon remarks, 
that thefe animals are common in the country of 
the Mongoux and Hakas ; that they differ from 
dom'eftic mules; and that they cannot be trained 
to bear burthens. Muller and Gmelin afTure us, 
that they are numerous in the country of the 
Tongufians, where they are hunted like other 
gime; that in Siberia, towards Borsj a, they are 
very plenty, in dry feafons : and adds, that 
they refemble a bright bay horfe in figure, fize, 
and colour, except that they have very long ears, 
and a tail like that of a cow. 
If thofe travellers who examined the czigithai, 
had at the fame time compared it with the Zebra, 
thev would probably have difcovered a sreat 
number of reflations. In the Peterfburg cabinet 
there art- ftuffcd {kins both of the Zebra and 
the ''zigithai; and from thcfe it appears, that 
though thev differ in colour, they undoubtedly 
belong to the fime, or a very neighbouring fpe- 
cies. Time alone can remove or confirm thefe 
conjeflures : but as all the other animals of Africa 
are likewife found in Afia, if the Zebra and 
czigithai are not of the fame fpecies, the Zebra 
alone would be an exception to this general rule. 
Befides, if the czigithai is not the fame with 
the Zebra, it may be the Afiatic animal called 
Onager, or wild afs. The onager certainly fhould 
not be confounded v/ith the Zebra; but whether 
the fame remark is applicable to the onager and 
czigithai, is a circumftance that cannot now be 
determined. However, we are wtii aflured, from 
the concurrent leflimony of every traveller and 
naturalift, that all thefe animals belong to the 
fame genus, and conftitute three, if not four, 
branches of the fame family. 
ZEBU. An appellation by which Bufir^n 
expreffes the dwarf ox, or Bos Indicus of Lin- 
naeus. See Ox. 
ZERDA. A Moorifh name for an animal in- 
habiting the Defart of Zaara extending beyond 
Mount Atlas. Pennant clafies it under the ge- 
nus of dogs: and defcribes it as having a pointed 
vifage; long whifkers ; large, black, bright eyes; 
very large ears, of a rofaceous hue, internally 
lined with long hairs, and the orifice fo fma'l as 
fcarcely to be vifible. The legs and feet refemble 
thofe of a dog ; and the tail is taper. The colour 
is between a ftraw and a pale brown. The lengtli 
of the animal, from the nofe to the tail, is ten 
inches; the ears are three inches and a half long ; 
the tail is fix; and the height is about five. 
The Zerda burrows in the fandy ground; and 
is fo exceffively fwift, that it is feldom taken alive. 
It feeds on infefts, efpecially locufi:s ; fits on it's 
rump ; is extremely vigilant ; barks like the 
dog, but with a fhriller found, and chiefly in the 
night; and feems of a melancholy and referved 
difpofition. 
Buffon has given a figure of this animal, which 
ftill is very little known ; but, on the doubtful 
authority of Bruce, afcribes to it a difi^erent place, 
and different manners from thofe it adlually pof- 
feffes. This elegant, and in general well inform- 
ed naturalift, fays that it is found to the fouth 
of the Palus Tritonides, in Lybia; that it has 
fomething of the nature of the hare, and fomewhat 
of the fquirrcl ; and that it lives in palm-trees, 
and feeds on fruits. 
ZERTA. An Italian fifh, of the figure of the 
chub i called alfo by ichthyologifts capito ana- 
dromus, and the blike. It feldom exceeds two 
pounds in weight; and fometimes lives in rivers, 
and at others in the fea. It's flefh is efteemed 
very delicate, particularly if caught a little before 
fpawning time. 
The Zerta is that fpecies of cyprinus which 
Gefner has defcribed under the appellation of 
capito anadromus. 
ZEUS. A genus of fifh, of the order of tho- 
racici : the diflinguifliing charafters of which are; 
that the head is comprcfled and declining; the 
upper lip is fornicated by means of a tranfverfe 
membrane; the tongue is fubiilated; the bran- 
chioftege m.embrane has feven perpendicular rays, 
the lowed placed tranfverfely ; and the body is 
comprefled. 
There are four fpecies ; the vomer; the gallus, 
or abacatuaia ; the faber, or doree ; and the aper. 
ZIBET ; the Felis Zibethus of Gefner, and the 
Le Zibet of Buffon. A variety of the civet, firft 
diflinguiflied by the lafb mendoned naturalift; a 
native of Mexico, and probably introduced there 
from the Philippines. 
This creature belongs to the genus of muftela. 
The ears are fhort and rounded ; the nofe is long 
and (harp ; the face is pale and cinereous ; the 
head and lov/er part of the neck are mixed with 
dirty white, brown, and black ; the fides of the 
neck are marked with ftripes of black, beginning 
' n- ar the ears, and terminating at the breaft and 
fiioulders ; from the middle of the neck, along 
the ridge of the back, extends a black line, reach- 
ing fome way up the tail; and on each fide there 
are two others. The fides are fpotted with afh- 
colour and black ; the tail is barred with black 
and white ; and the black bars are broader on the 
upper fide than the lower. See Civet. 
ZIFIUS. An appellation by which Albertus 
denominates the xiphias, or fword-fiih. 
ZIGURELLA. A name by which fome ich- 
thyologifts exprefs the julis; a fmall, but very 
beautiful fifh, common about Genoa, in fome 
degree approaching to the nature of the turdus or 
wraffe. 
In the Artedian fyftem, it is a fpecies of labrus, 
diftinguifhed by the name of the palmaris labrus, 
with two large teeth in the upper jaw. 
ZIGRACH, or ZIDRACH. An appellation 
fometim.es ufed for the fyngnathus of Artedi, more 
commonly called the hippocampus. 
ZISEL, A nam.e by which Buffon exprefles 
theearlefs marmot; the Mus Citelius of Linnaeus. 
ZIVOLO, A name given by fome ornitho- 
logifts to the fmalier fpecies of yellow-hammer ; 
fo called from it's conftantly reiterated note, 
Zi, Zi. 
This bird is about the fize of the common 
fparrow. The beak is thick and fhort; the breaft 
and belly are yellowiPn, fpotted with brown; and 
there are fomiC yellow fpots on the neck and fides 
of the male, of which the female :s deftitute. The 
head, back, wings, and tail, are of a dufky brown 
colour ; but two of the tail-feathers on each fide 
have a variegation of white. 
The Zivolo is generally feen on the ground; 
and feeds on feeds, and fuch other fare as the reft 
of it's kind fhew a predileflion for. Indeed, it 
does not elTentially differ from the common yel- 
low-hammer; and therefore Ray feems to quefiion 
if they are two diftinft fpecies. 
ZOOLOGY. A term by which we define a 
difcourfe 
