Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-15
ENU|NE WILD HORSES
Scientists Investigating a
Herd Which Was Cap
tured by Russians.

years ago OF tne discovery or Il gen.
uine Wild horse. There are. to be
sure. the so-called wild horses OF the
Americas. but they are tho descend
ants of horses that the Spnnlards
brought TO the Western world some
centres ago. While evidence ex-
iste,i that wild horses were proba-
bly, as abundant III prehistoric times
N the south of Europe as zebras are
today in British East Africa. most
noturalists believed that true Wild
horses viii an unbroken line OF wild
ancestry were etxnict.
Then, in 1879. the Russian ex-
plorer. Prjevalsky reported that he
had discovered new and quite dis
tinct horse in tho Cobb Desert TO the
west Of Mongolia. Two years later
Paliakof published description Of
the horse to which he gave the name
Equus Prjevalskl. Then the broth
ers Grum- Grjinallo saw the horses
in the desert and learned many new
facts about them
The Russians were greatly inter
es,ed ana 1t was decided to capture
4 number of the animals and bring
them to Europe. These efforts were
successful, and five years ago o herl
OF about thirty OF the Prjevalsky
horses. after no end of trouble. were
landed in Europe. Most OF them are
still in Russia, but few were taken
10 England. where they are kept ON
the estate of the Duke of Bedford.
The English nauralists did not make
scientific study OF the animals In
that country because the Russians
have had n most thorough invesIga-
Ion In progress with the advantage
that nearly all of the captive horses
and n number of skeletons are in
their HANDS. Very few of the Eng
lish naturalists believed that they
were true wild horses. but looking up
on them as either n kiang hybrid,
the kiang being a species of ass. or
as the offspring of escaped Mongol
ponies.
The Russians. however, have GET
tied the question. They have proved
by the methods OF comparative anat-
cmy and IN other ways that the
Prjevalsky horse has no relationship
with Mongol ponies or the kiang,
but is valid and distinct species OF
the genus horse, without relation
ship to the ass, though it has some
features tina remind ono OF the Ash
attic ass Int even in these features
as the tail, for example. the resem-
blance is closer the horse than 70
the ass.
The results of the investigation
were prepared for publication by Dd.
w. Salensky. director OF the Zoologi
cal Museum OF the Imperial Acat,
envy of Science, ST. Petersburg. Tho
book has just been translated into
English and published in London
Under the tile "Prjevalsky's Horse"
IL contains number OF pictures
OF the captives, one OF which is re-
produced here. The frontispiece
shows a three year-old stallion and
q two-year-old mare which are tina
property of the Car.
The animals were mere colts when
they arrived in Europe and were not
prepossessing. for they did not take
kindly TO the novel condi, ons. were
out of condition, and had ragged
coats and awkward gaits. They
have now reached maturity. have
been we'll cared for, and are good
looking animals.
Many nauralists now hold the
opinion that the domestic horse Of
today was mainly derived from three
wild species, which have been named
the steppe. forest and plateau vari-
cites. The Prjevalsky horse is n
representative of the steppe variety.
For lack of data DR.. Saiensky has
not been able to determine what re-
la'ionship may exist between thin
Wild horse of Monaghan and domes-
tic horses. The animal IS an inhab-
itant of the Dzungaria and kohdo
districts OF the Cobb desert. Its
habitat. which is no large, lies be-
tween the great Altai and the Tian
Shan mountains to he norh of Chi
nese Turlsistan.
The brothes Grum- Grilma'io. who
have had the best opportunity to OBJ
serve the horse in his wild state,
say that it lives in :he level districts
and goes at night to the pasture
lands and drinking places AT break
OF day it returns 10 the desert, where
1t rests until sunset.
When there are nursing colts IN
the herds the animals always rest in
the same place, but this does not APP
pear to be the case when tho foale
bscome larger. They usually walk
one behind the other so that the
region where they live is covered
with deeply trodden tracks.
They neigh clearly and the sound
corresponds exactly with the neigh
OF the domestic horse. There Is the
same resemblance between the snorr-
ing of badly frightened wild horae