The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-31

and began to retaliate. Greatly to her
surprise, he tried to bite her legs and so
bring her to the ground, and by this
means he considerably discounted her at
first. Soon however, Miss Sheila learn
ed the trick, and she bit at her antag-
onists legs valiantly till she brought him
to his knees in turn.
Any one who has ever watched lot of
frolcsome Mexican burros playing to-
gether will recognize at once that this
g-biting performance is the regular
game INDUCED in by members of the ass
tribe whenever they feel frisky.
Making Friends.
Matopo and Sheila waged this mimic
war for a couple of hours and then made
il up and were very good friends, and the
zebra's alarm a the horse species grew
much less. Nevertheless, he still showed
himself exceedingly shy of all large spec
linens of it, Prof. Ewart had collected for
the purpose of his experiments several
mares of different breeds, among which
was an Irish mare nearly thoroughbred.
This latter was the first animal above his
own size that Matopo would trust him
self near. She was bay with black
points, and stood a hand and half taller
than the zebra. One day, as an expert
ment, Prof Ewart fastened a cloth over
her eyes and tied her up in small yard
and turned Matopo loose. For a long
time the zebra COuiu UOt summon up CUR
age to approach this creature which was
so much bigger than himself,
but after a while he grew BRAY
er and made up his mind to go
closer. AT last he got so bold as to
venture to lay his head first across her
Group and then across her withers, and he
stood thus for quite a while. Then he
licked her lips, and finally INDUCED in a
gentle nibbe at her ears. Having by this
process satisfied himself that even a large
sized specimen of the horse species was
not after all anything dreadful to deal
with, he left her in peace and went back
to his box to finish his corn.
1t is an interesting fact that at the very
time that Prof. Ewart undertook these
experiments in Europe. another man, on
the other side of the Atlantic, Baron de
Parana, was trying 10 do the same thing
on his estate in Brazil, where he succeed
ed at last in crossing a Burchells zebra
with a mare of Brazilian stock. What
that stock Is we are not informed, but we
may assume that it is derived from the
horses originally introduced into America
by the Spaniards and so resembles the
''broncho" stock commonly found in Tex
as and on the Pacific slope 1t would be
| a good idea for similar experiments to be
made by breeders of horses in America
| and elsewhere. Countries like California
| and Australia, where the climate is pc
culiarly suited to horse-raising and where
many men of capital and intelligence are
the owners of stud farms, would be ideal
! places for trying the value of zebrules,
! But they might be bred anywhere.
1t says much for the hardy character
Of the zebra that Matopo himself stands
| the climate Of Scotland so well Consid-
ering that he was bred in climate as
warm, say. as that of Southern Mexico
and is now living and keeping in capital
condition in one hardly less rigorous than
| that of Northern Maine, the wonder is
/ that he survives at all. The Pentland
! hills are bleak and exposed, and parts Of
! the farm where the experiments are be-
! ing carried on lie no less than 700 feet
| above sea level. Prof Ewart allows his
young stock and most of his brood mares
to run out here all winter in a large held
| In which, however, there are sheds to
| which they can resort for shelter during
| storms, and he Is careful to supply them
with abundant food. His thoroughbred
! mares, however, cannot stand the expos
| ure, and have to be stabbed the zebrules
are hardy enough to run out all winter
| like the ponies.
The First ZebruIe.
The first zebrule the professor was sue
cessful in obtaining made his appearance
| on the scene in the summer OF 1896 the