Evening star., 1902-03-17
WILD HORSES
SUSPICION rnlf \ NEW SPECIES
HAS BEEN FOUND.
Specimens Of the Animal Captured in
Mongolia and eo4aeiled in Eng
land by Dukeof Bedford.
n

The modern belief is. Of course that all
these breeds (carAasG draught and race
horses) are mere varieties of one species,
and that species is believed to be the wild
horse-the Equus cahallus-of- -Mid-Asia. r.
Lydekker. q prominent British naturalist,
has Of late days been making a study of
new species of horse, specimens of which
are now resident at Woburn Abbey. where
they have been donciled by the Duke of
Bedford. 1t would seem that some twenty
years gone by a certain Col Przewalski
came across horse In the deserts Of Mon-
golia which was duly dubbed 'tPrzewalski's
horse in honor Of it's. discoverer. From the
first naturalists> suspected that this horse
was species distinct of ITSELF and there
fore not mere variety of the ordinary wild
horse. Only. one specimen was obtained.
Later on others came to hand and from an
examination Of the cardinal points of the
animal the idea of it's distinct nature was
strengthened. The Duke of Bedford. It ap--
pears. has acquired twelve colts of Prevail
skis horse. They were bought from that
king of dealers, Mr.. Carl Hagenbeck of
tta mburg. Therefore, English biologists
will have the opportunity Of Studying the
new horse in the flesh as living entity,
and doubtless when death overtakes any
member Of the herd its body will be handed
over to science for the tue anatomical ex-
animation of it's frame.
OOiIS oOIn Last rear. = :t-'.! =
The colts are described as having been
born last year. They resemble ponies
rather than horses. and the opinion Il: ex
pressed that in size the mature creature will
not exhibit large proportions The fact Of
this character appearing in a wild race
would argue in favor OF its probably repre-
sent1ng distinct species-that is to saw a,
race Of horses which may be presumed to
be natural group Is entitled to have its
size regarded as one of its own specfal fea-.
lures. The muzzles are white in eleven
out or the twelve colts at Wobil.n The
ears are short. and the tails Mr.. Lydekker
describes as being we'll provided with hair
to near the roots. There are however.
variations to be ncted"fn the: conformation
OF the tail. The winter coat Is Of dun h,,a
while darker color prevails on the front Of
the legs. Name and tail are also dark col
cred The 'mane stands upright, but is also
described as tending to fall over The fore
lock Is not well developed nor Is the dark
stripe along the back seen In the horse
family at large well marked The caIlosi-
Ties or horny eXcrescences seen on the legs
OF horses and asses exist in the case of
tTZeWalskfs horse on both fore and hind
limbs. ~
With regard to the hoofs these are noted
70 De or the larger proportions which dis
1Ingulsh !I the horses from the ass tribe
taking the whole history Of this horse into
account as far as It can be detailed at
present. the opinion may be held that AS,
Mr Lydekker puts It,, the ordinary wild
horse. the Kiang orAAsiatic wild ass and
PrZewalski's horse constitute of themselves
the true horses, whHesfhe ordinary asses
and zebras. with tH3 African wild ass. form
a second and differeTft Group Of the family.
IN these true horses shoulder stripe is
usually wanting, sfs alsD are dark mark
1ngs on the legs.
Has. :pnea Toe.
This is an interesting; secord Of the fam
lily history Of ours aoedb friend the horse.
But there are other phases of its history
that are even more rema liable than those
which relate to it's living neighbors. How
many people know forgexample, that the
horse is a one-toed animal, and that 1t
walks on the third foe Of each foot which
has Its nail in the shape of the hoof?
When we examine the, skeleton of the
horses leg-fore Or hind leg-we see this
single toe, which is the third. and cor
responds. therefore. TO- the middle digit ON
our hand and foot. On each side Of this
Weii-deVeloped fpe. are two splint bones,
which are rudiments OF two missing toes,
the second and fourth. If it be asked how
we know this, reply, first, because occa-
sionally horses are born with the second
and fourth toes, fairly developed. and sec
ond because the geological history of the
horse supplies us with all the missing links
from the One-toed horse of today back
ward to the fiVe-toed ancestor from which
all the horses have been evolved No
doubt exists on this point, for in our mu-
seums, and especially in American collec-
tions-the fossil horses Of that continent
being numerous-we have the whole pedi-
gree OF the animal set up before our eyes.