Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-06
SOMETHING ABOUT ZEBRAS
A NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED IN A
CONGO FOREST.
In Its wild State 1t Is N Beautiful
acknowledgements to It's Value
for Domestic Purposes.
From the London Spectator.

InS morse, anu lIc li'lSt 10 uHNouo'SNiS
the favorite animal of Englishmen. But
the zebras have what no horse has. nat
uraI ornament in very high degree They
are among the most deliberately decorated
of all mammals. In the days when no
one knew much of their habits the skins
were sold as those of sea horses Won
derful beings evidently constructed In the
salesmen's imagination from the pictures
of sea gods drawn by fish-taiIed steeds.
with attendant sea blue nymphs
Recent mails from Africa have again d-
rected attention to the zebras. A new
species has been discovered somewhere on
the borders of the Congo forest. apparent
ly a quagga with the stripes reversed;
that is. instead of being striped on the
head and shoulders. 1t is said to have
tawny head and back. and striped belly
and legs. The latest news as to Zebras
generally is the discovery of astonishing
herds of them the plains that lie south
of Albert NyanZa, Albert Edward NyanZa
and the plateaux between the great lakes
generally. They are said to be seen feed
ing like ponies in field. and to have al
most no fear of man, many of the tribes
which inhabit the district are only vege-
table feeders. and do not even dig pitfalls
for the Astounding game. 1t is this abund-
ance of the natural wild horse of the dis
trict which has prompted Mr. X Stordy,
NJ. r. c. V. S. to write detailed recon-
mendation to the foreign office suggesting
the domeSticatiDn of the animals for
draught purposes in the fly country and
central Africa generally He believes that
the wild zebras could easily be taken up In
kraals. and the foals regularly broken and
used for domestic purposes. From these
tame race might be bred just tame
ostriches are now perpetuated from stock
which fifty years ago was wild on the
African deserts There Is not the slightest
doubt that this is .he natural and sensible
thing to do wherever the climate the
''hy''-the simi!itude of which enlarged to
he CT of IN nj
Natural History has instructed the public
In its deadly effect horses in a very
thorough manner-makes horse carriage
impossible. The first need is that some
hardy animal larger than a donkey shall
be found.
Are Hardy Animals.
The constitution of all the zebras is
tonishingiy robust. They are naturally
jewellers on high plains and dry mountains
But they are found in the fy-haunted
veldt of east central Africa near, Nom
hasa In this country they live out-of-
doors through the winter, and Prof
EwartS zebra hybrids were more hardy
than the ponies, and did well out on the
Pentland hills. They are thirsty animals,
and need to drink twice a day. But they
can live on very scanty food. and thrive
on the measer plants of the wilderness.
Their legs clean, hard and perfectly
formed 'One never finds a crock q
lame one. except from wounds, among
troop" writes Mr. Anderson Dryden, and
the feet are models of perfection. small,
clean, perfectly shaped and hard as
flint. and are evidently peculiarly adapted
to the high dry plains upon which these
animals make their homes. Their speed
Is very considerable. though probably 1t
varies with the condition of the Zebras.
When the grass is dry and hard they are
probably in better condition than when
the veldt is covered with green succulent
food. MIR. Bryden considers that the Burch-
= ylT fast an ger yNEn
Several times in tail-onchaseS across the
plains i have had to reiinquish the pur-
suit as hopeless. although well mounted
for the South African veldt. The Cape
hunting pony is. however, always severely
handicapped for the occasion, with its bur-
Den of man. rife and equipment. On level
terms. | thinks fair horse would always
beat the fastest zebra that ever secured
the plains. When zebras are charged they
do not gallop abreast. but string out into
file, like antelopes, with a stallion leading"
where They Are Found.
All the enthusiastic descriptions of the
Wild horses on the pampas or on the steppe
can be paralleled by the pictures drawn
by delighted hunters and travellers men
well used to see and judge the comparative
beauty of animals, of the wild zebras 1t
is natural enough. for the zebra is a far
handsOmer and better built creature either
than the half-wild ponies of the don or
the hddle-headed, dusty-looking bronchos.
The mountain zebra. which is really a
mountaineering species. appears to even
greater advantage. 1t is at home among
the crags and precipices of the high stony
mountains, only not snow-covered because
the snow line of the dry and hot South
Africa Is higher than ours. 1t Is by no
means so scarce as Is commonly asserted
II is still found in the greater part of the
mountain ranges of Cape Colony which.
now that attention has been drawn to
their geography by the evasive Boer COM
manders, are, 1t will be admitted numer-
Gus and difficult enough to shelter and
preserve them. They are found in the
Cedarberg near Piquetburg, in the Royce
weld In Sutherland, In the SwartZberg lin
all of which RACES fighting has been going
on quite recently, and of which Piquetburg
is unpleasantly near Cape Town, In the
Sneeuwberg near GRAF Reinet and near
Cradock. Cathcart and Uitenhage. The
mountain zebra is also found In German
territory in Damaraland. There 1t lives In
the most inaccessible parts of the noun
just by ibex Dr chamois. and the herd
when frightened gallop over the crags
and rocks almost as SUrefooted III their
speed as the ibex. 1t is probably the larg-
est animal inhabiting really mountainous
ground. 1t is Z feet inches long from
the muzzle to the seton of the tail, and
stands twelve hands high. Burchelrs Ze-
bra varies a good deal in size in different
Districts. The variety called after Mr.. Sc
loUs is feet inches long in the body,
and stands nearly thirteen hands. There
Is still more ulNeTence between the small
est varieties OF BHrchelIs zebra and the
big Crews Sonaliland breed. There is
as great a contrast between a large mule
and Norfolk donkey. 1t is from these
large-boned outstanding zebras. If from any,
that the draught animals should be select
ed Probably they would interbreed with
the BurchelHs Zebras. though 1t is doubt
full if the stock would be fertile
Not New Idea.
Neither the idea nor the fact of tanning
zebras is new. In the middle of the last
century half-broken Burchelrs zebras were
sometimes seen for sale In Cape Town. with
a rider mounted to show that they were
rideable. II Is said that they were ex-
ported TO the Mauritius for draught pur-
poses If so. it would be interesting to
know from the records of the colony
whether they were q success, and whether
they were bred there. The females are
fairly prolific even in confinement and the
males cross freely with horse mares as
well 1t is possible that they may have
been in Mauritius for some time. as camels
were in Jamaica in the very early days of
the plantation. The experiment has been
trfSr with cOmplpte In ppl nd nd