The evening times., 1899-10-28
THE AFRICAN ZEBRA EXTINCT.
Disappearance of the Vast Herds
That Inhabited the Dark Continent.

From the New York Journal)
Doubtless you will be surprised to learr
| that the zebra, which has been known tc
| history since the time Of the Roman En-
peror's triumphs. and Of which vast herd:
existed in Africa so recently as thirty years
| ago, is now as extinct as the American
| buffalo.
The name OF zebra was introduced into
! scientific literature by Hamilton Smith
Three species were known TO him-the
! quagga, the true zebra, and Burchell's
| zebra. Fird 7. Il
| We also know three living forms. but
they are not the same. The quagga is ex-
tinct, but the Somali, or Grevy's zebra has
been brought into notice and .ieescTited
as distinct species. No liS .ng example
| reached Europe in moderh- times until
1882. when 4 female was sent from Abys-
sinia to the President Of the French Re-
public and named in his honor by Milne
Edwards.
second female. sent by the Emperor
Menelik year or two ago. is living in
the Jardin Zoologique d'Acclimation In
Paris. and a pair was recently sent TO
Queen Victoria from the same monarch.
In all essential characters the zebras
agree with the asses rather than with the
horse and are distinguishable by the ex-
tent and style of the stripping. All the
family have so much in common that the
only criterion for discriminating the teeth
or limb bones of the species is the differ
eEce of size.
The quagga. with its short ears and
well-haired tail. approached the horse in
appearance closely; while in color it stood
midway between the wild asses and the
zebras. 1t was reddish brown, with whit
ish legs, and had the head, neck, and front
no nf IN mn nI uffh hrn
stripes.
Sixty years ago there were immense herds
in Cape Colony now this species is extinct
There are not many good museum speci-
mems in existence; perhaps the best is that
in Mr.. Walter Rothschild's museum at
Tring. England. The Beers and skin-hunt-
ers were the chief agents in the destruc-
tior of these animals; the former fed their
native servants on the meat and made grain
sacks of the skin, and the hunters shot
them for their hides, which were tanned
for leather.
Sir William Jardine says that driven
in single harness, the quagga showed "as
much temper and delicacy of mouth as any
domestic horse Early in the century Mr.
Sheriff Parkins used to drive a pair of
quaggas in a phaeton in the park; and Nj.
Tegetmeyer has put on record the fact that
pair of quagga hybrids, bred in the 70
illogical Societys menagerie were stfll later
driven tandem in a light cart used to con-
vey vegetables from Covent Garden Market
to the Gardens. :. .baJ1.ss- r,.
The true. or mountain, zebra is-now the
least common Of the thTesv living species.
and has in fact ceased to- exist in wild
state. 1t is. indeed, a striped ass, white,
banded with black to the-Loofs. one
who has seen true zebra and noticed the
characteristic gridiron mark can mistake it.
Burchill's zebra is a larger animal and
still exists In considerable numbers This
species varies considerably. especially in
marking on the face and the extent of the
stripping on the legs. Good examples of this
variety are on show in London. Burchell's
zebras have been driven in coach teams in
South Africa. by Mr.. Walter Rothschild and
by the officials of the Geological Gardens in
Paris The domestication of this species has
been advocated by Mr.. Selous and Capt Lu-
gard, who hold that this would solve the
transport problem in South Africa, for
these zebras and the zebra-mules got by
them from mares would suffer little from
the tsetse-hy or climatic influence.