The National tribune., 1890-03-27

| Dutch or other colonists, have made any sys-
tematic effort toward the quaggas domestica-
tion, and apart from this creatures conlorma-
/ ton and appearance and the moro general
habits Of its life, we know very little about IL.
The second Of those forms of striped
I horses " which were stated 20 be indigenous,
in this era, 10 the sO-caled Ethiopian region, is
Bnrchells zebra, unquostionably," says
Wright. " one Of the most beautiful Of qna,lru-
peds. This Bonte quagga, as it is sometimes
called, Is Of about the Same size as that animal
whose name il bears. aud like il, has decidedly
equine looking ears aud tail But its color is
not rcddish.hrown as is that of the former
species Its ground tint is. on the contrary, a
bright sienna. A dOrsal stripe of black or dark
brown, which broadons over the Group marks
the coat above, aud the skin is completely
banded both on the head, neck aud sides by
similarly tinted stripes that fork and run into
each other irregularly, and are not continuous
with the dark line running along its spine.
The legs aud under part of the body are white.
As was said. this is the form which is called
Equus burchellii, but at the same time, any
one who may read the formidable quHrtos in
which this naturalist records his Travels in
the Interior of Southern Africa" will find that
the animal he has described most particularly
and in fact may be said TO have designated, is
/ not the one named after him-the zebra of the
plains-that sienna skinned, irregularly striped
creature, whose dying grOans, when seized by
lion, Anderson mistook one night while in
camp on the SwarkOp River for those of a man.
and which ATbousset and Daumas encountered
IN such multitudes in the Bechuana country,
but the true zebra, the Equus montanus of tho
African mountains. This species, the wilde
paard of the Dutch col0nists, he Observes has
hitherto been COMPOUNDED by natnrRlists with
the zebra meaning by this the
STRIPED HORSE OF THE LowEANDs.
The fact is that he did not regard the true
zebra as geuerically identical with the latter
form. Its hoois, he observes, like those of all
animals destined 20 inhabit rocky mountains,
are very different from those intended for
sandy plains" but what this difference consists
in he does not explain. Neither does he men
ton the long ears and tufted tail characteristic
OF an animal which is, according to Wright
" the least horse-like of its immediate allies"
Equus mOntanus is likewise of less hight than
either the quagga or plain zebra, seldom ex-
ceeding four feet at tho shoulder, and it is also
very symmetrical in the shape of its body while
the limbs represent the equine type i'll perfec-
ton. Finally, this species is completely and
regularly striped with black bands upon white
ground, the under part of the body alone being
OF a uniform color; aud, additionally, there are
but two mamma whereas the former animal
has four.
Speaking OF the range of these forms Of
Equidg, Maj. Harris asserts that the wilde
paaId never ieafeS the mountains, ana llaJ us
allies are as vigorously confined TO the plains
The former, he says inhabits the widest and
most inaccessible spots" in those chains which
run " from Abyssiuia to the sOuthernmost por
tiOns Of the Cape of Good Hope" All travellers
who have met with this species refer TO its ex-
treme wariness, to the high degree in which its
senses are developed, and 10 the difficulty Of APP
preaching it unobserved, since sentinels guard
the herd, who are as vigilant rs those posted by
the Ssmbur stag or Himalayan argali. No
sooner" continues Harris, 81 has the Iiote of
alarm been sounded by the yidet than, prick
ing mp their long ears the whole herd hurry
forward to ascertain the nature OF the ap-
preaching danger and having gazed for a
moment at the advancing hunter whisking
their brindled tails aloft, helter-skelter away
they thunder down craggy preeipioes and over
yawning rsviues, where no less agile foot would
dare TO follow them"
IN order that many facts as possible may
be given concerning group OF animals whose
character aud habits of life are not very we'll
known, II may be added that, ms Arboussct and
DaumRs found the zebra. G., BuFchells spe-
cies-wanting in the Basuto and Manteli conn
try, 50 also Harris could find no true xebras
in the more tropical hills on his route and
further, according TO the authors recollection.
Sir Samuel Baker discovered none during his
Journey through those highlands from which
the Nile tributaries Of Abyssinia" descend.
| Not much reliable information with regard TO
the African EquidG is at hand aud not little
misconcePtion and contradiction exists concern.
ing the respective forms OF this group, as known
al present Button, for example, states that the
QUAGGA is so READILY DoMEsTIcATED
that the inhabitants OF the Cape District use IL
as draft animal, a mistake which probably
arose from the fact that for some time past the
true zebra fOal has frequently been separated
from the herd, driven by Dutch hunters
/ into the plains. where, having been Iassoed, 10
WAS exported 10 Mauritius for the purpose OF
! furnishing wealthy settlers with driving ami.
mails Of IN unusual kind. Again, many African
/ travellers have both killed aud eaten zcbras,
but their disagreement concerning this meat rs
an article OF food is e1cmplifed in the contra
/ dictOry opinions upon this point expressed by
Anderson and Maj Pinto The flesh of the
/ zebra, or wild horse, as the Dutch call it," OBJ
serves the former, q" ~ eatable but by no means
| good for, besides possessing very strong odor
| aud peculiar favor, IL has very oily taste "
/ On the other hand, the soldier explorer states
that he shot one OF these animals near the
mouth Of the Machilla River, which supplied
| him with excellent meat a good deal better
! than any antelope"
IT has been said, with reference to the zebra's
/ associations. that IL chiefly alIiliatcs with the
brindled gnu and ostrich. Ia the basin Of the
| LimpOpe, however, region containing greater
| variety OF game than any district throughout
the world" Gordon Cumming saw zebras in
contact with bufialOes, and Mai Leveson states
| that along the line of the YaaI River, guaggas
live pcaceably and socially with aatel0pes oil
| all species"
Heilprin supposes that the zebra seen by
Spoke aud Grant in the African lake region
was +. Rrevyi, or the new species described by
Milne Edwards. But II this il the case The
animal must have eliminated those eongtitu
tiOnal traits which con6ne T. m0ntanus anC
the species called after Burchell 10 gpecia
localities, since Burton saw the creature ii
question on the Rufuta plains and upon those
Of InyamWczi, aud also met with ID in consider
able numbers about Ieiva Lake; that ia TO say
at an elevation Of 3,l00 feet above sea level
lie also describes the behavior OF this zebri
towards anything that excites its apprehension
in much the same terms as those in which ST
W. &. Harris depicts that Of T. montanus
Finally, there seems 10 be prevalent belle
among many hunters in Africa that the zebr;
il peculiarly the lions game. lie is known {,
prefer natives 20 white men. and it Ia supposed
that the OdOr and Oiliness of these horses SINH
larry attracts him. Lloyd. Anderson an,
Drummond have had some dispute concerning
this matter, bat the latter, who is especial,
competent tOgye an authoritative opinion, says
Were fat zebra, fat rlinOcer0s and IA
buffalo 10 be killed aud left out 10 il prObabl
that they would be eaten In the order in whic
~ IL AZ.