The National tribune., 1890-03-27

Huxley observes, "The horse is in many ways
d most remarkable animal, inaSmnch as IL pre-
sents US with an example OF one of the most
perfect pieces OF machinery in the animal
kingdom. In fact, among mammals II cannot
be said that there is any locomotive so per-
fectly adapted 10 its purposes. And
as necessary consequences Of any sort OF per-
fectiOn-Of mechanical perfection as Of others
We find that the horse is a beautiful creature,
one Of the most beautiful Of all land animals.
This locomotive apparatus is =
resident IN lis slender fore aud hind limbs.
they are flexible and elastic levers, capable Of
being moved by very powerful muscles, and ia
order 10 supply the engines which work these
levers with the force which they expend. the
horse Is provided with a very perfect feeding
apparatus. 4 very perfect digestive apparatus"
Considering now the specific equine forms
all Of which are frequently COMPOUNDED under
the general term OF zebras, we ind these 10 be
marked of from each other by differences
which. although superficial, are perhaps more
constant than those which the wild horse
maBifests toward the wild ass
qnAgga. says Sir w. e. Harris, stands at
about ~ or 10 hands at the shoulder. T. K.
Wright gives its average hight at the withers
as four feet six inches aud It's extreme length,
according 10 the same authority, is about eight
feet The ground color Of this animal is red
dish-bT0wn, and lis head, neck aud shoulders
arc marked with dark-brOwH bands, that be-
come fainter as they approach the Group, and
finally disappear upon the hanks. Like those
Of ali Eguids the legs are clean and ginewy
but while they possess the characteristic stTuc-
ture. they lack the
HIGH-BRED APPEARANCE
that belongs 70 those OF the horse proper, the
Abyssinian tseniOpus, the zebra Of BuTchel, OF
that Of the South African highlands.
- Its tail is white, flowing below the hooks y
and the ears also are distinctly hOrse-lke "
Formerly this creature abonnGed in the cape
district, but except in certain localities upon
the frontier they have now disappeared from
this region. ia such instances there exists q
common tendency 10 ascribe the absence Of q
form from auy area where il was once prevalent
TO extirpatiOn. This, however is an assump.
ton which in the case OF many animals az
longer extant in habitats which they hal pre-.
viOusIy occupied, is not justified by facts. The
wolf and wild hog in certain parts Of Europe
the elephant on the west Of Africa. aud the In
dian bison Of the Ailgiris for example. have
without doubt migrated % a considerable ex
tent Ia modern times; and there is every reason
% suppose that an animal 50 much prosecuted
as this was by Hottentot and Bantu tribes, and
which had also been alarmed by the encrOach
meBt Of white settlers upon its range Joined
IN large Numbers its congenOrs Of the nOrtl
upon those "sultry plains" where, as Mai
Harris remarks, ~ 6tili e1lsts IN intermlna
bic herds IL does not mix, he continues with
the zebra, but chiefly associates with the white
tailed gnu and ostrich " for the society o
which bird especially II evinces the most sin
guiar predilectiOH." From the character Of thi
plain country aud its climate food supply ans
water are almost always variable in any giyeI
area. and the habits Of its resident animal
consequently become migratory; although
neither Ia their minor changes Of place, nor il
the trek-bokken proper, those greater move
ments among immense aggregates. is there an,
manifestation Of truly periodical tendency.
IL was the opinion Of Harris that the Rive
Naal limits the qusggas range On the north
y but Burton saw IL on the plains Of UnyamWezC
1 Ia the Lake Region Of Central Africa. What
ever It's geographical limits may be, IL is Ger
tain that Ia tue country south Of that stream
anc wherever BechUana aud Bushmen tribe
arc found, It's disgustingly oily, yellow
flesh" is considered by these sayages as a deli
cacy. The lion has a similarly eccentric taste
and the animal Is persistently hunted by bot
man and beast. Being grcgariOns in its habits
and either living ia large herds or smalle
aggregates Of 20 or 30 individuals, the quage
also shares those dangers which have strewl
the strata Of the earth with more remains O
DnFalates than Of any other forms. Animal
Of this order" says Wallace, being nuusual
Of large size, and accustomed 10 feed and travc
IN herds, are liable 20
WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION BY FLOODS,
bogs, preciBices, drought and hunger \
data exists By which the relative numbers CON