River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-11-05
PrzevaIsky's Wild Horse.

Great interest is attached to the
question of the origin of our domestic
animals, and especially to that of 8
horse---which is generally supposed not
now to exist in an aboriginally wild
state. Every fact bearing upon this
subject is of Importance, and the dis
covery by the great Russian traveller,
Przevalsky, of new wild horse, more
nearly allied to the domestic horse, than
any previously known species, is GER
tainly well worthy of attention. This
new animal was described in 1881 in a
Russian journal by Mr.. j. S. Poliatow,
and dedicated to its discoverer as equus
przevalskii. The recently issued Ger
man translation of Przevalsky's third
journey enables us to give further par
ticulars of this interesting discovery.
Przevalsky's wild horse has warts on
its hind legs as well as on its fore legs,
and has broad hoofs like the true horse.
But the long hairs of the tail, instead
of commencing at the base, do not be!
gin until about half way down the
tail In this respect equus prZevalskii
is intermediate between the true
horse and the ass. 1t also differs
from the typical equus in having a
short, erect name, and in having no
forelock. that is, no bunch of hairs in
front of the name falling down over
the forehead. Nor has Przevalskys'
horse any dorsal stripe, which. al
though by no means universal, Is often
found in the typical horse, and is al
most always present in the ass. Its
whole general color is of a whitish
gray, paler and whittier beneath, and
reddish on the head The legs are red
dish to the knees, and thence blackish
down to tho hoofs. 1t is of small stat
ure, but the legs are very thick and
strong, and the head is large and
heavy. The ears are smaller than
those of the ass. Przevalsky's wild
horse inhabits the great Dsungarian
Desert between the Altai and Tianschan
mountains, where it Is called by the
Tartars ''Kertag," and by the MCDcols
'Statur. " /. is met with in troops of
from five to fifteen individuals. led by
an old stallion. Apparently the rest
of these troops consist of mares, which
all belong to the single stallion. They
are lively animals, very shy, and
with highly developed organs of sight,
hearing and smelling. They keep to
the widest parts of the desert, and are
very hard to approach. They seem
especially TO prefer the saline districts
and to be able to do long without
water. The pursuit of this wild horse
can only be carried on in winter,
because the hunter must live in the
waterless districts, and must depend
upon supply of water from melted
snow. As may well be believed. such
an expedition during the severest cold
of winter into the most remote part of
the desert must take at least month.
During the whole time of his stay in
the Dsungarian Desert Przevalsky
met with only two herds of this wild
horse. In vain he and his companions
fired at these animals. With out
stretched head and uplifted@ tail the
stallion disappeared like lightning
with the rest of the herd after him.
Przevalsky and his companions could
not keep them, aud soon lost their
tracks. On the second occasion they
came upon them from one side, yet
one of the herd discovered their
presence, and they were all gone in an
instant. The single specimen Of
Przevalsky's horse subsequently
procured is now in the Museum of the
Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg,
and is the only example of this species
in Europe. Nature