I 12 
NATURE NOTES 
Transvaal, though it is abundant in Bechuanaland ; and it is 
from this fine antelope that the Chief Khama takes his name. 
The eland, the largest and finest of the antelopes, lives on, but 
in greatly diminished numbers. When Lord Derby imported 
his herd into England, in 1840, great things were hoped, in the 
way of providing a new meat, from the acclimatisation of this 
animal. The hopes have been disappointed, but it certainly 
ought to be possible to domesticate this animal in Africa. 
The giraffe is rapidly approaching extermination south of the 
Zambesi. 
The quagga, the most horse-like of the striped asses, is “ as 
absolutely extinct as the dodo.” The last specimen exhibited 
alive in England was presented to the Zoological Gardens in 
1858. Just a century ago Barrow, in his “Travels,” gave a 
glowing description of its good qualities, which should have 
ensured its preservation. He wrote of it as well shaped and 
strong limbed, not in the least vicious, but, on the contrary, 
soon rendered by domestication mild and tractable. He goes 
on to speak of the abundance of quaggas, yet few, he saj's, have 
given themselves the trouble of turning them to any kind of 
use. This is the more to be regretted since the quagga was 
fully as strong as, and infinitely more beautiful than, the mule, 
as easily supported on almost any kind of food, and never out of 
flesh. In the early part of this century a pair of imported 
quaggas were driven about London by Mr. Sheriff Parkins ; 
and hybrids bred in the Zoological Gardens between the quagga 
and the ass used to draw a light tandem, in which vegetables 
were brought from Covent Garden to the menagerie at Regent’s 
Park. The mountain zebra is rapidly approaching extinction : 
like the white-tailed gnu, it scarcely exists as a wild species. 
The few that are left live under partial protection, in the wilder 
mountain ranges of Cape Colony. It does not seem well 
adapted for domestication ; nevertheless, it has been broken to 
saddle, and Mrs. Hayes rode one that had been for some time 
in a travelling menagerie in India. Burchell’s zebra — the 
species usually seen in menageries — is still pretty plentiful ; 
and it would be well if something could be done in the way of 
domesticating it, for this would, to some extent, solve the 
difficult question of transport through the fly country. Birds 
have not suffered to anything like the same extent as beasts. 
The ostrich has been domesticated, and the secretary bird is 
said to be protected in Cape Colony, though some sportsmen 
doubt whether it deserves protection, declaring it to be an 
enemy to the young of all feathered game, and to the young 
of the smaller antelopes and hares. It will be seen that in the 
case of many of the threatened species measures for their pro- 
tection have already been taken. Mr. Rhodes, too, has done 
something in the way of .setting apart a reserve, and the East 
Africa Protectorate has declared the Kenia district a .sanctuary 
for big game, which ivory hunters and sportsmen generally are 
