THE LIVING WORLD. 561 
member of a small herd of ten or a dozen, and is an exciting object of the 
chase to his would-be captors. 
The Wild African Ass ( Equus tceniopus ) is found in Eastern Egypt and 
Abyssinia, and inhabits alike highland and lowland, the fertile Nile Valley and 
the arid desert. The wild ass of Africa is very beautiful in form and fleet in 
motion, but as yet has had its claims to notice obscured by the favor shown to the 
other mammalia. Sir Samuel Baker, whose felicitous and trustworthy accounts 
of his African experiences have already been referred to, when speaking of the 
wild ass, selects the equus tceniopus as the type. The stripes are distinct on the 
shoulders, and faintly traced on the legs. It is four and three-quarters feet (or 
fourteen hands) in height; is the best type of the thoroughbred, and is beauti¬ 
fully marked, as its cream color is distinctly tinged with bay, red or dark 
crimson hues. 
The Quagga [Equus quagga, or Asinus quagga,) is said to have derived its 
name from its peculiar cry. The ground-color is blackish-brown above, and 
white for belly, hindquarters and legs. The quagga wears lateral stripes from 
its head well back upon its body. It is about four and a half feet high, and 
about five and a half feet in 
length. The head and ears 
are horse-like, and the long, 
flowing tail is white. It 
lives in herds, and is found 
most frequentty in company 
with the ostrich and the 
gnu. It is peaceful in its 
habits, but when hunted is 
quite fearless in its charg¬ 
ing. It has been domesti¬ 
cated, but for the most part 
is hunted for sport or killed 
for its flesh. Its habitat is 
southern Africa, and most 
African travellers speak of having enjoyed the sport of shooting the quagga. 
The Daw [Equus montanus ) differs from the quagga in continuing his 
striping the full extent of his body. It is strong and muscular, and has been 
domesticated. Its habitat is the Cape of Good Hope. Like the quagga, it cul¬ 
tivates the society of the ostrich. Its legs and belly are unstriped. Both the 
quagga and the daw are common in zoological gardens and in menageries, and 
are erroneously called zebras. 
The Zebra, or Wild Paard [Equus zebra, Asinus zebra), has white as 
a ground color, but this is marked throughout, except on the belly, with cross¬ 
bands of dark brown or pure black. Mane and neck are short, ears long, the 
form somewhat like that of the wild ass, but the stature greater. It is a moun¬ 
taineer, very wild, very swift, very shy. It is savage in temperament, and dif¬ 
ficult to deal with, even if captured. With one or two possible exceptions, 
trainers have met with no encouragement from the zebra. Zebras and quaggas 
will wander, wailing about the spot where one of their companions has been 
killed. Stanley tells of more than one experience in ^r^-shooting, when the 
herd would stand by their wounded companions until two or three of their 
36 
VI.ACKE VARK. 
