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GUIDE
ÏO THE
SPECIMENS
OF THE
HORSE FAMILY
(EQÜIDJ1)
EXHIBIÏED IN
THE DEPAETMENT OF ZOOLOGY,
BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY),
CKOMWELL ROAD, LONDON, S.W.
f
li''£-:^
/ijt^JSTRATED BY 26 FIGURES.
Jhi%\
\
LONDON:
N1i
Sb
^1
*%B BY ORT^k "OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
1907.
All rights reserved.
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FLAMMAM,
PRINTED BV TAYLOR AND FRANCIS.
REI) MOS COUKT, PLEET 8TKKET.
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PKEFACE
Owing to the great interest attaching to the Horse and its
relatives (alike from the point of view of the naturalist, the
breeder, and the sportsman) it bas been decided to issue a
special Guide-Book to the specimens of this group exhibited
in the public Galleries of the Zoological Department of the
Museum.
It is hoped that the following pages will not only tend to
stimulate this interest, but that they will also lead to the
presentation of " record" specimens for preservation in the
National Collection. In the case of skeletons of celebrated
thoroughbreds, Arabs, and other breeds, their true interest can
only be f ully appreciated when they are brought together in
a large series. It is only in a great public museum that the
proper care and preservation of such specimens can be assured.
The present Guide-Book is the work of Mr. R. Lydekker.
E. RAY LANKESTER,
Director,
Bbitish Museum (Natuhal Histoby).
October, 1907.
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GUIDE
TO
THE HORSE FAMILY.
The name
" Horse."
Although frequently employed in zoology in a wide
sense, to indicate all the members of the family
Equida, both living and extinct, the term " Horse"
properly denotes only the well-known domesticated animal Equus
caballus and its half-wild or wild representatives. Since, more-
over, the Latin name was given by the Swedish naturalist Linnseus,
it seems necessary to regard the domesticated Horses of Scandinavia
as the typical representatives of the species.
In these pages the term Horse is mainly used in the more
restricted sense.
Different views are entertained with regard to the limitations of
the family Equidce, some naturalists including in it all the extinct
animals belonging to the same line of descent, or "phylum,"
while others restrict it to those more or less nearly related to the
living species.
_, „           In the latter sense the Equidce are characterized by
The Horse .,..„"...                     ,           , t , '.
the tall prismatic crowns and complex structure of
*" their cheek-teeth, in which all the hollows and valleys
formed by the infoldings of enamel are filled by cement, so as to
form a grinding surface of a perfect type. Another feature is the
presence of an infolding of the enamel in the summits of the
incisors, thus producing what is called the " mark." In the skull
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2
THE HORSE FAMILY.
the enclosure of the socket of the eye by a complete bony ring is a
feature distinctive of the group. In all existing members of the
family, constituting the genus Equus, there is only one toe on
each foot, although rudiments of lateral digits are represented
by the " splint-bones" on each side of the upper end of the
cannon-bones.
Dentition The dentition of the Horse is illustrated on one side of
Of the the table-case placed near the middle of the North Hall;
Horse. the object of the specimens being to show the alterations
which take place with age. In all its features the dentition
displays special adaptation for the masticating of vegetable food,
such as the herbage of the open plains upon which the species
dwells in a state of nature. The front teeth or incisors are, for
instance, used for cropping off the blades and sterns of grass,
while the cheek-teeth (molars and premolars) serve for crusbing
and breaking them into fragments. The tusks, or canines, so
greatly developed in carnivorous animals, are comparatively small
even in the males, and rudimentary in the females.
The complete number of teeth in the adult Horse is that
characteristic of Ungulate or Hoofed Animals of the early Tertiary
period, vis., three incisors (i), one canine (c), four premolars (p),
and three molars (m) on each side above and below, or forty-four
in all. The first premolar (p. 1) is, however, very small, and
often wanting, especially in the lower-jaw; but instances of its
presence are shown in several specimens in the case; these being
of interest, as remnants, on the point of disappearance, of a tooth
well developed in the Horse-like Animals of ancient times.
The incisors, as mentioned above, have an infolding of the
surface, constituting a deep pit (the "mark"), a feature now
confined to the Equidce. In consequence of this pit extend-
ing only a certain depth into the crown, it becomes obliterated
as the tooth wears away, so that its presence is a guide to the
age of the animal. The six principal cheek-teeth are in close
contact by broad surfaces fitting tightly against each other, so
that they collectively form one solid mass, presenting a grinding-
surface composed of substances of various degrees of hardness
(enamel, dentine, and cement), interwoven into an intricate
pattern so as to make most efficiënt natural milistones. The
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3
TEETH.
grinding-face of the tooth always keeps at the same level, the
gradual wear of the superficial parts being compensated by the
pushing outwards of the whole tooth in its socket until, as may
be seen in the older specimens, nothing but the root is left.
The permanent teeth are preceded by a temporary or deciduous
set of " milk-teeth " (d.i., d.m., &c.); in which there are as many
incisors as in the permanent set, although there are only three
cheek-teeth on each side above and below; these milk-molars
being replaced by the last three permanent premolars. The
eruption, or cutting through the gums, of the deciduous teeth
commences at about the time of birth, and is completed bef ore
the end of the first year, when the young animal has its full set;
the upper teeth, as a rule, appearing somewhat earlier than those
of the lower jaw. The first teeth to appear are the central incisors
and the molars; betweeu the first and second months the second
incisor appears, and finally (at about nine months) the third
(corner) incisor, which completes the milk-deutition. Of the
permanent teeth, the first molar appears about the end of the first
year, foliowed by the second molar before the end of the second
year; these teeth being thus in place before any of the milk-teeth
have been shed. At about two and a half years the second and
third premolars replace their predecessors; and bet.ween two-and-
a-half and three years the first permanent incisor appears. At
three-and-a-half to four years the fourth premolar, the third true
molar, and the second incisor have appeared ; while at four-and-a-
half to five years the third (corner) incisor and the canine have
cut the gum, thus completing the permanent dentition. Up to
this period the age of the horse is clearly shown by the condition
of its teeth, and for some years longer indications can be obtained
from the wear of the incisors, though this depends to a considerable
extent upon the hardness of the food and other accidental
circumstances.
In the specimens exhibited the side view of the teeth of the
right side, and the grinding-surface of the teeth of the left side
are shown.
The series of skulls exhibited comprises specimens ranging in
age from the unborn colt to a horse of 36 years.
I! 2
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4
THE HORSE FAMILY.
«... , Pacing the visitor as he enters the middle of the
o il            north hall are shown in a single case the skeletons
of a Man and of a Horse (N.H. 1), arranged for
comparison with each other, and also to show the position of the
bones of both in rtlation to the external surface. In the case of
the Horse, the skin of the animal from which the skeleton was
prepared was mounted, and, when dry, divided in the middle line,
and one half, lined with velvet, placed behind the skeleton. In
the Man the external surface is shown by a papier-maché model,
similarly lined and placed in a corresponding position. The
principal bones of both skeletons have their names attached,
so that study of this group, besides affording a lesson in com-
parative anatomy, may be of practical utility to artists. The
meanings of the terms pastern, fetlock, etc. are also explained in
this specimen.
Evollltion Specimens illustrative of the evolution of the Horse are
of the displayed on the north side of the table-case near the
Horse. middle of the north hall; that is to say in the same
case which contains, on the south side, the series illustrating the
dentition of the Horse.
The evolution of the Horse (and its allies) is better known
than that of any other group of Mammals. In passing from
the Horse to its earlier ancestors, a gradual decrease in bodily
size (fig. 1), accompanied by a shortening of the lower segments
of the limb, especially of the bones of the foot, is very noticeable;
at the same time there is an increase in the number of the toes,
while the heigbt of the crowns of the cheek-teeth is lowered, and
their structure becomes simpler.
In the Horse, in common with the other members of the genus
Equus, the skull (fig. 13) has the socket of the eye completely
surrounded by bone, there is no distinct depression immediately in
front of the same, the canine and incisor teeth are separated by a
long gap from thpse of the cheek-series, and the crowns of the
latter are very tall and continue to grow till late in life, while their
grinding-surfaces are much complicated, owing to the filling-up of
all the cavities with the substance known as cement. Each limb
terminates in a single hoof, upon which alone the animal walks;
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5
EXTINCT HORSES.
the lateral toes being represented only by the so-called " splint-
bones" (fig. 7).
Remains of Horses indistinguishable from some of the various t
forms of the existing species occur in the superficial deposits of
Europe and Asia, in company with those of the Mammoth. At a
somewhat earlier epoch (Pliocene) occur Horses, such as E. stenonis
of Europe and E. sivalensis of India, in which the head is
relatively larger, the feet are somewhat smaller, the splint-bones
more developed, and the skull shows traces of a depression in
front of the eye. The American Pliohippus is smaller, with
shorter cheek-teeth. Still earlier (Miocene) is found in America
a Horse known as Merychippus or Protohippus in which the
splint-bones are fully developed and terminate inferiorly in small,
although perfect, toes. In the early Pliocene Hipparion, or
three-toed Horse, the lateral toes are still larger, while the crowns
of the cheek-teeth are lower, and the skull is shorter and shows a
large depression in front of the eye. In this animal the crowns of
the cheek-teeth are still tall and have their hollows filled with
cement (fig. G, E), and there must consequently be some unknown
forms connecting it with the Miocene Anchitherium, in which the
crowns of these teeth are quite short, and have their hollows free
from cement. Hipparion is generally regarded as off the direct
ancestral line.
This type is common to Europe, Asia, and North America; but \
Mr. J. W. Gidley, in the Bulletin of the American Museum, has
come to the conclusion that the New World Hipparions are
generically distinct, and proposes that they should be known as
Neohipparion. They differ from the Old World forms by certain
details of tooth-structure, as well as by their more slender limbs,
in which it seems that the lateral toes are relatively smaller.
Finally, they are of Miocene, instead of Pliocene, age.
Nearly allied to Anchitherium is the Oligocene genus Mesohippus,
the species of which are smaller than the typical representative of
the former. In these animals the socket of the eye is open behind,
the gap between the canine and cheek-teeth is comparatively
short, the lateral toes are functional, and there is even a suggestion
of a fourth toe in the fore-foot (fig. 2, B). This digit is fully
developed in the fore-foot (fig. 2, A) of Hijracotherium, a Lower
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6                                               THE HORSE FAMILY.
Eocene Mammal not larger than a Fox, in which the lateral digits of
both feet are relatively as large as in the Tapir, while all the bones
of the feet are proportionately shorter than in the Horse, and all
three joints of each toe probably touched the ground. Species
intermediate between Mesohippus and Hyracotharium have been
named Plagiolophus and Orohippus. Farther it is not at present
possible to carry the ancestry of the Horse, but there is little doubt
that Hyracotherium is descended from a still earlier five-toed
Mammal with a simpler type of cheek-teeth, and much shorter
foot-bones. This hypothetical animal doubtless walked on the whole
sole of its foot (plantigrade progression) instead of on the tips of
the toes, and was probably nearly related to the creature known
as Phenacodus, a cast of the skeleton of which is exhibited in
the Gallery of Fossil Mammals. For further details concerning
the extinct allies of the Horse see 'A Guide to the Fossil Mammals
and Birds in the Department of Geology and Palseontology '.
„ ... .         The superficial (Pleistocene) deposits of South
South American . . v             K . .. .' £.,                    ,
America—more especially those ot the province or
" Buenos Aires—have yielded remaius of two very
remarkable equine animals, Hippidium neogcmm and Onohippidium
munisi. Of the former the model* of a nearly entire skeleton
(N.H. 3, fig. 3) is exhibited, while the latter is represented by a
cast of the skull (N.H. 17). In both genera the cheek-teeth
(as mentioned later) have shorter crowns and differ in several
details of structure from those of modern Horses. As mounted,
the skeleton stands 4 ft. 1 in., or \2\ hands, at the withers, while
the skull measures 23^ in. in total length. In an average
European horse-skeleton, standing 4 ft. 9| in., or 14 hands 1^ iu.
at the shoulder, the skull-length is about 23§ in., or practically
the same as in the much smaller Hippidium. Although these
measurements suffice to show how disproportionately large is the
skull of the Hippidium, they by no means indicate the chief
peculiarities of that animal. Comparison of the skull of the
former with that of an ordinary Horse shows a most remarkable
difference in the structure of the nasal region of the two species.
In tne ordinary Horse the nasal bones are separated from the
maxillse, or upper jaw-bones, of either side by a slit of only some
* The original of this model has been made the type of a second species,
but on very slight grounds.
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SOUTH AMERICAN EXTJNCT HORSES.                              7
three or four inches in length. In Hippidium (as in Onohip-
pidium, fig. 4), on the other hand, these slits are about 10^ in.
long, while the nasal bones themselves are proportionately long
and slender. This clearly indicates that these extinct American
Horses had extremely elongated noses, not improbably forming a
kind of short trunk comparable to that of the Saiga Antelope.
In that animal, as well as in its relative the Chiru Antelope of
Tibet, the increased size of the nasal chamber has been brought
about by a shortening instead of an elongation of the nasal bones,
but it is probable that in these tvvo Antelopes and in the Hippid-
ium the purpose of the modification is the same. It has been
generally supposed that in the case of the Chiru the large size of
the nasal chamber is an adaptation to the respiratory needs of an
animal living at a very high elevation. In the case of the Saiga
such an explanation would, however, obviously not hold good;
and the real explanation in all three cases may perhaps be found
in a special adaptation to a desert life, the long nose serving as a
filter to prevent particles of sand reaching the organ of smell.
As regards the rest of its skeleton, Hippidium is remarkable un-
its short and stout limbs; this being chiefly due to the excessive
shortness of the cannon-bones, which are also unusually wide,
vvith very stout splint-bones. Each limb terminates in a single
toe. These short limbs, coupled with the hüge unwieldy head,
indicate that Hippidium had less speed than ordinary ponies.
There are only five lumbar, or ribless trunk, vertebrse, as in the
Arabian Hor se.
Two other points of interest in connection with these peculiar
equine animals deserve brief reference. From the conformation
of the bones of the nasal region it seems certain that neither
Hippidium or Onohippidium can be derivatives from the genus
Equus, while it is still more evident that Equus cannot be
descended from Hippidium. Consequently, the reduction of the
digits from three in the ancestral Horses to a single one on each
foot has taken place independently in the two genera. The second
point is that if the wild Horses alleged to have been seen by Cabot
in Argentina in the year 1530 really were, as some suppose,
indigenous, they must have been either Hippidium or Onohippidium,
and not Horses of the Old World type. With the evidence
afforded by the skins of the Patagonian Ground-Sloth as to the
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Fig. 4.
Skull of Onohippidium munizi. (From the model in the Museum,
No. N. H. 17). pf. preorbital fossa, or depression. About ' nat. size.
Fm. 6.
W A tf,-*mr WÊt * i ^
Bf -^ - ^^
H|^fi£&£- *'- ^^^J^J
Skull of a small S. Amebican Deer, Pudua pudu (No. N. H. 17), to show the
preorbital fossa, or depression (/>A), whieh contains a gland. J nat. size.
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8
THE HOUSE FAMILY.
comparatively late date to which that species survived, there is no
valid reason why Hippidium and Onohippidium should not have
survived till Cabot's time, especially as their hoofs have been
found in comparatively fresh condition alongside the remains of
the Ground-Sloth.
While the skull of Hippidium shows uo marked depression in
front of the eye-socket, that of Onohippidium (fig. 4) has an
enormous pit in this position, vvith a smaller and partially
detached one in front.
_ ., ,        In the same case vvith the skull of Onohippidium
_ .. „            are exhibited a few specimens (N.H. 34) illus-
trating the structural differences in the upper
cheek-teeth of some of the later members of the Equida, and also
the marked difference between an unworn and a worn uiolar of
Equus caballus. The specimen marked A (fig. 6, A) is an unworn
molar tooth of the latter species, with the infoldings of the
crown not yet filled with the cement, which is developed later.
D (fig. 6, D) shows the condition of a similar tooth which has
been some time in use. The summits of the columns coloured
red in A have been worn away in D so as to exposé the dentine
or ivory (red) forming the interior of the tooth; the infoldings
on the crown, of which the central ones are converted into islets,
being filled with cement (blue). The enamel, forming the proper
external surface of the tooth, is left of the natural colour.
Specimen C (fig. 6, C) is a half-worn tooth of the above-mentioned
extinct South American Hippidium, in which the two disks
(anterior and posterior pillars) on the lower border coloured red
are more alike than in Equus; the whole crown of the tooth being
also shorter. Specimens B and E are respectively slightly worn and
half-worn teeth (fig. 6,B&E) of the European Three-toed Hipparion.
In these the anterior pillar (a) is isolated from the rest of the
crown, thus indicating that the genus is off the direct line of
ancestry of the modern representatives of the Horse family.
_ „ ...           Althoueh it is unnecessary to discuss the genera!
Callosities or . . ö „ .. „.,-.. • . . .           . •
" sti'ucture or the Equiaa, it is important to mentiou
b " that all members of the Horse tribe have a
bare patch of hardened skin on the inner side of the fore-leg,
situated some distance above the carpus, or "knee." In the
Horse a similar but smaller callosity, or "chestnut" generally
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Fig. 6'.
Fig. 7.
CnOWN SURFACES OF MOLAB, TEETH OF
Equus (A. & D.), Hippidium (C), and
Hippariun (B. & E.) (No. N. II. 34).
«. anterior, b. posterior pillar.
Back of the Fobe akd Hinb Cannon-Bones
AND SPLINT-BONES OF A SHIRF, HoBSE
(No. N. H. 38).
1 & 2. Bones of the rudimentarv lateral toes.
(From specimens in the Museum.)
[To f ace page 8.
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9
CALLOSITIES AND ERGOT.
occurs on the inner side of the hind-limb some distance below the
tarsus, or hoek (fig. 8). This hind-callosity is absent in certain
ponies from Iceland and the Hebrides as well as, it is reported, in
some horses from North Africa; and is always wanting in the Ass,
the Zebras, and all other members of the family. The front callosity
is more warty in the Horse than in any other species of the family.
These structures are evidently of the type commonly called
rudimentary, that is to say, they are the decadent remnants of
organs once functional. They have been regarded as representing
glands. Important evidence in favour of this view is the fact
that when cut the callosities yield a fluid which will attract other
horses, and will likewise cause dogs to keep quiet when the
premises of their masters are invaded ; such a fluid being almost
certainly derived from an ancestral scent-gland.
Specimens of the legs of the Horse (N.H. 71, 72), Ass (N.H. 69,
70), and Zebra (N.H. 68) are exhibited in the large case in the
central archway on the north side of the hall to illustrate these
remarkable structures. Near by are shown in spirit portions of
the hind-legs of two unborn colts (N.H. 96, 96 a) in order to
demonstrate that the position of the calosity (fig. 9) is the same as
in the adult, and thus to refute the suggestion that these structures
represent one of the foot-pads of less specialized Mammals.
In the same case are displayed specimens of the limbs of Deer
with glands situated in positions not very dissimilar to those
occupied by the callosities of the Horse.
In old veterinary books the callosities, which were supposed
to be due to disease, are called sallenders (from the French
Solandre), or mallenders. They are. sometimes called "castors."
The true representative of a foot-pad is the "ergot,"
" " or small horny knob projecting from the hind surface of
the fetlock of the Horse. A specimen (N.H. 93, fig. 10) showing
this is displayed in the same case, where the foot of a Tapir
(N.H. 94, fig. 11, A) and another of a Dog (N.H. 95, fig. 11, B)
are also exhibited, in order to show the correspondence of the
central pad with the Horse's ergot.
„ „ . In this place certain interesting abnormalities which
„ occasionally make their appearance in Horses may be
conveniently noticed. The most remarkably of these
are connected with the skull. The specimens exhibited include
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10                                       THE HORSE ÏAMIEY.
the skull of an English Horse (N.H. 45) presented by
Mr. Hanbury Carlile, showing rudiments of a pair of horns on
the forehead. Of three other specimens of the same type, one is
the frontal region of the skull of an ordinary English Horse
(N.H. 44) showing the pair of rudimentary honis in precisely the
same position as in the first specimen, but of somewhat larger
size. The other two are models of the foreheads of Thorough-
breds (N.H. 46, 47), each showing a pair of similar horns,
situated as in the preceding specimens. These are important as
showing that the skin extends uniformly over the horn-like
processes, without auy tracé of a derrnal horn; the same condition
being observable in the other two examples. The significance of
these horn-like growths is at present inexplicable, seeing that
none of the ancestral Horses, or even of the collateral branches of
the Horse-stock, vvere horned animals. This makes it the more
difficult to understand why the projections in all the four
specimens above referred to should be so similar in form and
position.
_          - The next abnormalities to be mentioned are connected
vvith the foot-bones of Shire Horses, as represented in
" the feet of " Blaisdon Conqueror/' formerly owned by
Mr. Peter Stubs and of two other Horses of the same breed
presented respectively by Lord Wantage and Lady Wantage. In
the skeleton of " Prince Henry," presented by Lady Wantage,
only the boties of the limbs on the left side (N.H. 38) have been
preserved; but in both the front and hind cannon-bones (fig. 7)
of that side the two lateral splint-bones (the metapodials of
anatomists) are unusually large and stout. In place of terminating,
as in many ordinary Horses, about two-thirds down the shaft of
the cannon-bone, or even less, in thin narrow slips, they extend
fully four-fifths the length of the latter, where they end in large
triangular processes inclined markedly outwards. Although these
terminal projections are immovably welded to the splint-bones,
their structure is such as to indicate that they represent distinct
elements, consisting of two or three pieces each; and there can be
no doubt that they really correspond to the lateral toe-bones
(phalanges) of the extinct Hipparion. In other words, Lady
Wantage's Shire may be said to be a veritable three-toed Horse,
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11
VOOT-BONES.
in which the bones of the rudimentary lateral toes were buried in
the skin and welded together. It is noticeable that, in both the
fore and hind foot, the outer rudimentary toe-bones are much
more dcveloped on the left than on the opposite side.
If this were all, it might be considered that the Shire " Prince
Henry" was merely a solitary instance of reversion towards the
ancestral type in foot-structure, and, although even this vvould be
a matter of considerable interest, yet it would have little or no
special bearing on the ancestry of the breed in general. Since,
however, the cannon-bones of "Blaisdon Conqueror" also display
an equally large development of the splint-bones, which show
traces at their lovver ends of distinct vestiges of the toe-bones,
although by no means in so pronounced a degree as in " Prince
Henry," the peculiarity seems to be more deeply seated. It is
trae, indeed, that in the case of tbe feet (N.H. 77, 78) and limb-
bones (N.H. 79, 80) of a Shire colt presented by Lord Wantage,
it has to be admitted that these are abnormal and more or less
malformed; yet, the fact remains that they show not only traces,
but a relatively high degree of development of the lateral toes, of
which the constituent bones are separate, while the terminal one
on one side of each limb has a hoof of its own. The reversion to
the ancestral type is thus very strong. In both feet of this colt
the lateral (2nd and 4th) metacarpal bones (usually represented
only by the so-called splint-bones) are complete, though varying
in size, and carry one toe-bone each.
Although this abnormal specimen was selected and presented to
the museum on account of its peculiarities, yet, after making
allowance for this, there is the remarkable fact that three skeletons
of Shire Horses exhibit more or less strongly developed rudiments
of the lateral toes of the extinet three-toed Hipparion. The
obvious inference is that this is a characteristic of the breed.
To confirm or disprove this idea requires, however, the limb-
bones of a considerable series of pedigree Shires. Of special value
would be the limb-bones of very young colts, in which the
rudimentary toe-bones might be separate and more fully developed
than in the adult. As matters already stand, a further inference
may, however, be drawn from these rudimentary toes in the Shire
Horse. As already stated, in many Horses the splint-bones
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12                                             THE HORSE FAMILY.
terminate inferiorly in thin scale-like extremities. In some
instances, however (as in the fore lirnb of Stockwell, exhibited in a
wall-case), they have a small flat expansion at the lower end, and
from the evidence of the Shire Horse bones these expansions may
be definitely identified with the lateral toe-bones of the three-toed
ancestors of the Horse. ■ In a certain sense, therefore, a con-
siderable number of existing Horses are really three-toed animals.
Whether the highly developed condition of the splint-bones and
rudimentary toe-bones of the Shire Horse indicates an ancestry
for that breed distinct from either the Arab thoroughbred stock
on the one hand, and the ordinary North European stock on the
other, or whether it is merely a kind of reversionary redundancy
due to the large size and vigour of the Shire, is difficult to decide.
Variation of another type has formed the subject of a paper by
Mr. O. C. Bradley in the Proceedings of the Edinburgh Physical
Society. The trapezium of the carpus of the Horse is the structure
discussed; and it is shown that this bone is present, eithev in one
or both limbs, in about 50 per cent. of the skeletons examined,
while if each carpus be taken separately (that is, without reference
to the condition in its fellow) the percentage is a little more than
40. This, in conjunction with its minute size, leads to the
conclusion that in the evolution of the siugle-toed foot of the
Horse the bone in question is following in the steps of the lateral
metacarpal (splint-bone) with which it was originally conuected.
Another point of interest is the existence of a
VariatlOll in tne considerable amount of difference in the structure
Snape 01 me Qf tne noof jn ^e varjous members of the Horse
tribe; this being illustrated by a series of
"' specimens (N.H. 81-89) in the large case on the
north side of the North Hall. In the Horse {Equus caballus) the
" frog," or central cushion is reduced to a narrow ridge, deeply
grooved posteriorly, which does not extend behind the case of the
hoof, and is not applied to the ground. In Grévy's Zebra (E.
grevyi), of North-east Africa, the frog becomes much broader,
with scarcely any tracé of the groove, and its hind part touches
the ground. In the Kiang {E. hemionus kiang), of Tibet, the
posterior development of the frog becomes more marked, so that a
considerable portion projects behind the case of the hoof and
-ocr page 18-
13
CAVE-HORSE.
touches the ground; the cleft being narrow and deep. A still
greater development of' the hind part of the frog occurs in the Ass
(E. asinus). In the extinct South American Onohippidium the
frog is soinewbat intermediate between the Horse and the Ass
type, being grooved and not projecting behind the case of the
hoof', but being of considerable breadth and thickness. In the
Bonte-Quagga or Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchelli) of South
and Eastein Africa the niedium-sized and slightly cleft frog is
deeply sunk in the hoof, behind which it projects to a sniall
degree• not touching the ground, except when the hoof is
much worn.
CharacteristicS Coming to the characteristics of the Horse itself,
of the           as typified by the domesticated Scandinavian
Horse.           breed, the species is distinguished by the tail
being abundantly covered with long hair up to the root and the
general presence of bare callosities or, " chestnuts," on the inner
side of both pairs of limbs. The mane, which has a forelock on
ihe forehead, is long and pendant, the ears are relatively short,
the head small, the limbs long, and the hoofs large and broad,
especially the front pair, which considerably exceed the hind ones
in this respect. Normally there are no distinct colour-markings;
although dark bars are not unfrequently seen on the legs, and
more rarely on the shoulders, of dun-coloured individuals.
This definition requires, however, some amount of modification
when the wild representatives of the species are taken into con-
sideration. The following main types or races of the Horse may
be recognized, of which the first is :—
_, _         The Cave Horse, Equus caballus spelmus, a race typified
bv bones and teeth from the cavern of Bruniquel, Tarn-
et-Garonne, France, described by Sir E,. Owen in the
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society for 1869, and
exhibited in the Geological Department. It was then supposed to
indicate an animal of about 13J hands in height, but the relatively
large size of the cheek-teeth of the n^xt race indicates that it
was probably much smaller. Prehistorie sketches from the Cave
of La Madelaine, in the Dordogne, south of France (fig. 12),
show that this race was practically identical with the living
Wild Horse of Mongolia, having the same relatively large
-ocr page 19-
14
THE HORSE ÏAMILY.
head, absence of forelock, upright mane, and tail sparsely haired
at the root. Indeed, the grounds for separating this race from
the next are based on considerations of nomenclature and con-
venience rather than on structural differences. Nevertheless,
the cheek-teeth appear to be relatively and absolutely smaller
in the cavern race, the length of the row of six upper teeth in
a specimen from Bruniquel being about 7\ inches.
Skulls from the superficial deposits of Walthamstow, Essex,
of which one (N.H. 18) is exhibited in the table-case, probably
indicate a race nearly allied to, if not identical with, the Cave-
Horse. As in the Mongolian Wild Horse, the face is bent
downwards only in a slight degree on the line of the basal axis
of the skull.
II .. The Mongolian Wild Horse {Equus caballus prze-
'           valsidi, fig. 14) is a small race, standing about
12 hands at the shoulder, and characterised by the root
of the tail being short-haired, a short upright mane, the absence
of a forelock, and the yellow dun or somewhat rufous body-colour,
with the mane and tail black, the legs dark brown or black, at
least as high as the fetlocks, a narrow dark stripe down the back,
and generally (probably always when pure-bred) a white muzzle.
The head is relatively large, especially as regards the face, the
ears are proportionately tail, and the hoofs rather narrow. The
interval between the first upper cheek-tooth and the outermost
incisor is relatively very short. The cheek-teeth (fig. 16, A) are
both absolutely and relatively very large, the length of the upper row
of six in a skull with a basal length of 18^ inches being 7\ inches,
or only one-quarter of an inch less than in the skull of the Shire
Mare " Starlight" (N.H. 23, fig. 16, B), of which the basal length
is 23 inches. Other distinctive features of the upper cheek-teeth
are the absence of complex foldings in the enamel and the
relatively large size (antero-posteriorly) of the anterior pillar (a),
which is produced considerably in advance of the point of con-
nection with the main body of the tooth, and is much flattened
on the inner side. This feature is most pronounced in the
premolars. The large relative size of the cheek-teeth is illustrated
by comparison with those of a Dartmoor Pony skull (N.H. 27),
-ocr page 20-
15
WILD HORSE.
but little smaller than that of the female skull of the Mongolian
Wild Horse. In the Dartmoor Pony the length of the tooth-rovv
is only 5| inches.
In addition to the length of its facial portion, the skull of the
WildHorsehere exhibited (N.H. 16, %. 13) is characterised by the
absence of any distinct vestige of a depression in front of the eye-
socket, and by the slight extent to which the face is bent down on
the basi-cranial axis, so that a continuation of the line of the latter
will cut the face above the aperture of the nose-cavity *.
In some instances there are indistinct transverse barrings on the
legs, and there may be faint indications of a shoulder-stripe.
In its typical form the Wild Horse appears to be restricted to
the Gobi Desert and perhaps some of the neighbouring districts;
but the Wild Horses formerly inhabiting the Kirghiz Steppes
and known as Tarpan, were evidently near akin. They were
probably, however, crossed to a greater or less degree with escaped
domesticated Horses ; and the few skins which have been
preserved show decisive evidence of mixed blood in their mouse-
coloured coats, such a tint among Horses being a sure indication
of cross-breeding. In the early part of last century, when
Tarpan were still numerous on the Kirghiz Steppes, the Taters
asserted that the pure breed was to be met with only to the far
eastward, in Central Asia—that is to say the Gobi Desert; and
it accordingly seems probable that the Mongolian Wild Horse
itself ought properly to be called Tarpan, or, in the plural,
Tarpani.
A small Horse living in London in the early part of last
century and stated to have come from the heart of China was
named Asinus equuleus by Colonel Hamilton Smith. If, as
seems possible, this animal was a true Wild Horse, the name
equuleus, as the earlier, should replace przevalskii.
* Prof. J. C. Ewart, Trans. lïoy. Soc. Edinburyh, vol. xlv, 1907, p. 555;
and Quarterly Review, April 1907, p. 547, has made the Mongolian Wild
Horse the type of a so-called " Steppe-group " characterised by the marked
deflection of the facial portion of the skull as compared with the basal axis.
No such feature is, however, presented by any of the skulls of tliis race in
the Museum Collection, although it is apparent to some extent in the one
figured in the first of the fcwo memoirs mentioned.
-ocr page 21-
Fir. 16.
Kight Uppes Cheek-Teeth of the Mongolian Wild IIobse, (A); a Shibe
Hobse, (B) ; anb an Abab, (C) \ nat. size. a, anterior pillar.
[Tuface ptrye ló.
-ocr page 22-
16                                       THE HORSE FAMILY.
A mounted specimen of a female of the Wild Mongolian Horse
(M. 1012, fig. 14) is exhibited in the Lower Mammal Gallery,
and the skeleton of a young stallion is iustalled in the North Hall,
where the two halves of the skull of the mare are also shown.
Some of the Kirghiz Tarpan lacked the hind chestnuts (which
are small in the Wild Mongolian Horse) ; and these structures
appear to be constantly lacking in a breed of small Horses or
Ponies ranging from Connemara, the Outer Hebrides, Iceland,
and the Faroes to Western Norway. For this breed the name of
Celtic Pony, or Celtic Horse {Equus caballus celticus) has been
proposed; but since it has also been regarded as nearly related
to the Kirghiz Tarpan *, it seems doubtful whether it is worthy
of racial separation from E. c. przevalskii. The Celtic Pony,
or Fjordhest as it is called in Norway, has been described as
follows :—
The ordinary colour is pale buff, but may be mouse-grey, or
even brown; the mane is light-coloured externally, with a central
black core, and the tail is also light-coloured with a certain
admixture of black hairs. The winter coat is very rough and
shaggy, with a large forelock and tuft of hair under the lower
jaw, and long bushy hair at the root of the tail. The forehead is
broad, and the facial portion of the head relatively short; while
the legs are relatively slender and the hoofs small. The absence
of hind callosities has been already noted. Another feature is the
small size or absence of the canine teeth, or tusks, of the
stallion. Shetland Ponies, when young, exhibit the same lateral
expansion of the hair at the root of the tail.
il lh         Whether the Celtic Pony is a separate race or merely
a modified and domesticated Tarpan, there can
™ be no question that the dun type, as typified by
the Norwegian Dun Pony, is a distinct race. As no particular
breed was specified in the original Linnean description of the
domesticated Equus caballus as the type of the species, it may
perhaps be permissable to regard the Dun Pony of Norway in this
light, despite the fact that it has been attempted to give this position
* Stejneger, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collectimis, vol. xlviii, p. 467
(1907).
-ocr page 23-
DUN HORSES.                                                     17
to the Arab*. If this be admitted the Dun Pony should be
called Equus caballus typicus.
These Ponies are evidently related to the Wild Mongolian
Horse, but have a fuller development of the mane and tail, which
are wholly black, although specimens may occasionally be seen
in England in which the hairs on the root of the tail are shorter
than usual. In some cases there is a dark stripe down the back
and traces of barring on the legs. The facial portion of the head
is longer, and the hoofs are relatively larger than in the Celtic
Pony.
This breed may be regarded as probably derived from the
Wild Mongolian Horse, and likewise as the main ancestral stock
of the ordinary domesticated Horses of North-western Europe.
In the skulls of ordinary domesticated Horses the cheek-teeth are,
both absolutely and proportionately, much smaller than in the
Wild Horse. When Arab blood is presumably absent, there is
no tracé of a distinct impression in front of the socket for the
eye; and in some instances the facial portion of the skull is not
markedly bent down on the basal axis. This bending-down of
the face on the line of the basal axis may, however, occur in
domesticated Horses of all breeds. Skulls exhibiting different
degrees of development of this feature are shown in the case in
the central arch of the north hall. One of these skulls was
obtained from the Roman Fort at Newstead near Melrose, where
specimens exhibiting various degrees of bending-down of the
face were found (see J. C. Ewart, Trans. Royal Society Edinburgh,
vol. xlv, 1907).
The relatively smaller head and still smaller cheek-teeth, the
shorter ears, the presence of a fore-lock, the larger and pendent
mane, the more fully haired tail, and the wider hoofs which
distinguish the ordinary Horses of Western Europe from the
Wild Horse may be regarded in all probability as due, at any
rate to a great extent, to the effects of domestication, although
there is also the possibility that they may in some degree be due
* See Stejneger, op. cit. p. 470, note. Osborn, on the other hand (Bull.Amer.
Mus. vol. xxiii, p. 262, 1907), adopts the view here advocated, and uses the
name E. africanus, Sanson for the Arab ; this name is, however, preoccupied
by JE. asinus africanus of Fitzinger.
C
-ocr page 24-
«
18                                       THE HORSE FAMILY.
to the infusion of Arab blood. Much the same may be affirmed
with regard to the bending down of the face on the basal axis of
the skull.
In a publication recently issued by the Philomathic Society of
Alsace-Lorraine * Dr. Max Hilzheimer gives an illustrated
description of a remarkable and apparently ancient breed of
horse to be met with in the neighbourhood of Schlettstadt, in
Upper Alsace, where it is locally known as Riedpferd (Reed
Horse) or Pickerle. Small in stature, and of all colours except
grey, it frequently shows a dark dorsal stripe, while in one foal
the last remnant of a transverse shoulder-stripe was observed,
such a vestige being sometimes noticeable in the Wild Mongolian
Horse. In its large and clumsy head, with a broad forehead, and
a tendency to a concavity in a profile near the base of the nasal
bones, the Schlettstadt Horse likewise approaches the wild race,
as it also does in its short ears and low withers. On the other
hand, in its profuse mane and tail it makes an equally wide
departure from the latter, although there is every probability
that these features are the result of domestication. Dr. Hilzheimer
refers to an account by Elisaeus Rösslin, in a work on Alsace-
Loraine, published at Strassburg in 1593, of so-called Wild
Horses inhabiting the mountains of the Black Forest. These are
known to have survived till 1616, when three were shot during
a hunt. Although these so-called Wild Horses were probably
the descendants of domesticated animals they were dcubtless a
primitive type, from which, in Dr. Hilzheimer's opinion the
Schlettstadt breed may be descended, A further inference is
that in the latter we have survivors of the Wild Horse of the
Swiss lake-dwellings and of the cave period.
The Southern The Southern or Barb type (Equus caballus asiaticus,
Or           or E. c. libycus), as represented by Barbs, Arabs,
Barb Type. Thoroughbreds, etc., constitutes the fourth and last
well-defined group of Horses. In this breed, as we now know it,
bay with black "points/' and not unfrequently a white star on
* Mitteil. Philom. Ges. Ehass-Lothringen, vol. iii, p. 368, 1900.
-ocr page 25-
19
ARABS AND THOROUGHBREDS.
the forehead may be regarded as the typical colour, although grey
is by no means uncommon ; and the mane and tail are always
long, pendent, and full. The fetlocks of one or more legs are
not unfrequently white.
The skull generally, if not invariably, shows a slight depression
in front of the socket of the eye (fig. 18, pf.), which although
now serving as the attachment for the muscle running to the
nostril, probably represents the cavity which alraost certainly con-
tained a face-gland in the skull of the extinct Hipparion, Many
of the dark-coloured Horses of Europe have Barb or Arab blood
in their veins, this being markedly the case with the Old English
Black, or Shire Horse, the skull of which accordingly shows a
distinct depression in front of the eye-socket (fig. 17,pf.). That
the face-gland may well have disappeared in modern Horses is ex-
emplified by Sheep, the dornesticated breeds of which possess this
structure, although it is lost in the wild American Bighorns. In
the latter the place where the gland should be situated is probably
occupied by muscle. As two instances are known to the writer
in which modern Horses (one an Argentine) have developed
functional face-glands, on one or both sides, there is not much
doubt that the depression seen in the skulls of Arabs and
Thoroughbreds represents the pit for the tear-gland of Antelopes
and Deer (fig. 5).
Prof. W. Kidgeway regards bay as the typical colour of the
Arab. This is confirmed in some degree by the fact that grey Arabs
when aged tend to become flecked with chestnut; and also by
the circumstance that some grey Arabs are slate-coloured or
mouse-coloured when young.
A considerable number of skulls are placed on exhibition to
illustrate the presence of a vestige of the facial gland-cavity in
the skulls of Arabs and Thoroughbreds, and its general absence
in those of other breeds, except Shires.
The skulls of Arab Horses are further characterised by the
long interval between the first upper cheek-tooth and the outermost
incisors, as well as by the relatively small size of the upper cheek-
teeth, the length of the six cheek-teeth in the skull of " Jerboa "
(N.H. 9) being only 6f inches, while the basal length of the
skull itself is 19-f inches, or nearly the same as that of the
c2
-ocr page 26-
20
THE HOUSE FAMILY.
Mongolian Wild Horse, in which the length of the tooth-row
is 7^ inches. The upper cheek-teeth (fig. 16, C) in the skull of
an Arab presented by Mr. Wilfrid Scawen Blunt (N.H. 20) and
likewise remarkable for the extensive folding, or frilling, of the
enainel in the centre of the crown; while in both the Arab skulls
in the collection the anterior pillar of the upper molars presents
an unusually short grinding surface. Both these features are
noticeable in the cheek-teeth of the extinct Equus sivalensis of
India; the skull of that species (N. H. 42) likewise displaying a
vestige of the preorbital depression in a more marked degree than
in Arabs and Thoroughbreds. In all these respects the skulls
of Arabs and Equus sivalensis approximate to that of Hipparion
(N.H. 49).
The skulls of Arabs (fig. 18) differ markedly from those of ordi-
nary Horses in the strongly sinuous profile of the face, in the narrow
muzzle, and in the great width and depth of the hinder part or
"angle" of the lower jaw, as well as in certain minor details; all
these features corresponding with the contour of the head of living
Arabs. Sorne Thoroughbreds, such as those of the " King Tom "
line, exhibit the characteristic Arab profile very distinctly.
Amoug Mr. Blunt's Arab stud the presence o£ a large " wolf-
tooth," or rudimentary first premolar is stated to be far from
uncommon, at least in the upper jaw, whereas such large teeth
are rare in ordinary Horses. Such a tooth was generally, if not
invariably, present in both jaws in the extinct Equus sivalensis
and its allies.
In addition to the features already noticed, Arabs are charac-
terised by the following peculiarities :■—
The skull is relatively short, very wide between the eye-sockets,
which are high and prominent, thus giving a wide field of vision;
while the lower jaw is slender in front, and very deep and wide-
set behind. The chest is rounded, and the back and loins are
well " ribbed up,''' due to the presence of only five (in place of
six) lumbar or ribless vertebra?. The pelvis—in connection with
great speed—is set more nearly horizontal than in other Horses ;
the croup, or tail-region, is relatively high; and there are only
sixteen fin place of eighteen) caudal, or tail, vertebra?. In the
-ocr page 27-
ARABS AND THOROUGHBREDS.                                  21
limbs the shaft of the ulna, or small bone of the lower part of
the fore-leg, is complete; the cannon-bones are elongated and
slender; and the pasterns are long and sloping. Desert-bred
Arabs are stated to have denser bones than ordinary Horses.
Despite the fact that a complete ulna has been observed in a
skeleton of Grévy's Zebra, the whole of the foregoing characters
are regarded by Prof. H. F. Osborn {Bulletin of the American
Museum of Natural History, vol. xxxiii, pp. 259-263, 1907) to
justify the specific separation of the Arab Horse, for which he
adopts Sanson's name of Equus africanus.* The origin and
descent of the Arab are considered by the same observer to be
totally different from those of the Northern Horse.
As regards the extent to which the facial part of the skull is
bent down on the basal axis, there appears to be some amount of
variation among Arabs and Thoroughbreds; but the feature is
always developed in a considerable degree. It also occurs in the
skull of the extinct Equus sivalensis as is shown by a cast
(N.H. 42) in the north side of the table-case.
This marked bending-down of the face in Equus sivalensis,
coupled with the presence of a distinct remnant of the preorbital
face-pit in the skull and the above-mentioned characters of
the dentition, indicates the essential distinction of that species
from the Mongolian Wild Horse, which, as already inentioned,
is regarded as the survivor of the ancestral type which gave rise to
the ordinary Horses of North-western Europe. And since several
of the features characteristic of Arabs and Thoroughbreds are
met with in Equus sivalensis, there seems a probability that the
latter (or some closely allied race) may have been the ancestral
stock from which Barbs, Arabs, and Thoroughbreds are derived.
At any rate, this theory seerns to afford a better working
explanation of the facts of the case (so far as they are at present
known) thau auy other hitherto suggested. If the Arab Horse
should ever be proved to be descended from a species distinct
from the one which gave rise to the Wild Horse of Mongolia, it
will, of course, have to bear a name other than Equus caballus.
* See note page 17.
-ocr page 28-
22                                       THE HORSE FAMILY.
Specimens Of Limitations of space, apart from all other eon-
Arabs and siderations, prevent the exhibition of complete
ThorOlighbreds. specimens of the larger breeds of Horses; and
the exhibited series is therefore, in the main, limited to heads,
skulls, limb-bones, and minature models, supplemented by pictures.
Arabs are, at present, represented by a statuette of " Zenghis
Khan" (N.H. 124), modelled in Hungary, and tvvo skulls of
mares. One of the skulls (N.H. 20, fig. 18) is the gift of Mr. W.
Scawen Blunt, the well-known breeder of Arabs, while the other
"Jerboa" (N.H. 9) was presented by Mr. H. T. Sills of Cape
Colony. Both are mares and show the characteristic curved facial
contour already referred to, which reappears in some Thorough-
breds, as in the skull of " Royal Hampton " (N.H. 11),shown
alongside that of Jerboa, and also in that of " Corrie Roy"
(N.H. 10). " Royal Hampton," it may be added, was a descendant
of " King Tom " (see pedigree). A photograph of the " Darley
Arabian," taken from the original picture at Aldby Park, York, and
presented by Miss F. M, Darley, has been here reproduced
(fig. 15) as a good illustration of the Arab type ; this particular
Horse having taken a considerable share in the production of the
modern Thoroughbred.
From the " Darley Arabian" was descended the famous
Thoroughbred Stallion " Eclipse," of whose skull and skeleton
photographs (N.H. 128) are exhibited on the back of the case
containing the skeletons of the Man and the Horse. The skeleton
of " Eclipse" is preserved at the Royal College of Veterinary
Surgeons in Red Lion Square, Holborn. " Eclipse " was bred by
the Duke of Cumberland in 1764 (the year of' the great eclipse
of the sun), and died in 1789. He was a chestnut, with a white
blaze on the face and one white foot. He was never beaten, and
during his two years turf-career was the winner of eighteen races.
" Eclipse" was sired by " Marske," a great grandson of the
"Darley Arabian."
Of Thoroughbreds represented in the collection by skulls, or
skulls and skeletons, by far the most celebrated is the stallion
" Stockwell," who was foaled in 1849, and died in 1876. He
was winner of the St. Leger in 1852. The skull (N.H. 15 ) and
-ocr page 29-
23
FAMOUS THOKOUGH13KËDS.
skeleton was presented by Mr. J. C. Naylor in 1876. The
following is the pedigree of this Racehorse for four generations : —
f Birdcatcher, ( Sir Hercules, 1826
r The Baron,
j
^ ■ UUICC101I, lOiiD
1842
■=1
I
Eehidna,
( Economist, 182(5
TOOKWELL, ,
l
1837
1 Miss Pratt, 1825
1849
f
Glencoe,
f Sultan, 1816
Pocahontas,
!
1883
( Trampoline, 1825
1837
'i
Marpessa,
( Muley, 1810
L
1830
1 Clare, 1824
" Stockwell" had a large aniouut of the blood of " Eclipse "
in his veins, and also a strain of that of " Herod."
Another celebrated Thoroughbred stallion is " Ormonde," who
was foaled in 1884, and died in 1904. Bred by the First Duke
of Westminster, he was winner of the Derby, the St. Leger, and
the Two Thousand Guineas in 1886, and was an unbeaten Horse.
Ormonde is generally regarded as the best racer of the 19th century.
The skull (N.H. 13) and part of the skeleton were presented by
Mr. A. B. Macdouough in 1905. The pedigree of this stallion,
to tbe fourth generation
s as follows :—
Stockwell, 1849
Marigold, 1860
Thormanby, 1857
Ellen Home, 1844
Sweatmeat, 1842
Jocose, 1843
f The Cure, 1841
( Miss Agnes, 1850
Doncaster^
1870
Beud-Or,
1877
Rouge llose,
1865 j
ORMONDE,
1884
Macaroni,
1860
Lily Agnes,
1871
Polly Agnes,
1865
L
The skull of the Thoroughbred stallion, "Bend-Or" (N.H. 14)
the sire of " Ormonde," was presented by the Duke of Westminster
in 1903. "Bend-Or" was foaled in 1877 and died in 1903.
-ocr page 30-
u
THE HORSE FAMILY.
He was winner of the Derby in 1880.
follows:—
His pedigree is as
The Baron, 1842
Pocahontas, 1837
Stockwell,
1849
Doncaster,
1870
<
Teddington, 1848
llarigold,
1860
L
( Sister to Singapore, 1852
BEND-OR,
1877
<
f Thormanby,
1857
Windhound, 1850
Rouge Rosé, J
1865 1
Alice Hawthorn, 1838
L
| Ellen Horne,
L 1844
Redshank, 1833
Delhi, 1838
The Collection also contains the skull of " Royal Hampton," a
Thoroughbred stallion foaled in 1882, who died in 1906. He
was winner erf the National Breeder's Produce Stakes at Saudown
Park in 1884, and of the City and Suburban Handicap, 1886.
" Royal Hampton " was owned by Sir J. Blundell Maple, and
the skull (N.H. 11) was presented by Mrs. Ballard (Lady Maple)
in 1906.
The following is the pedigree of this well-kuown Horse:—
f Lord Clifden
1860
Newminster, 1848
The Slave, 1852
Kettledrum, 1858
Haricot, 1847
Harkaway, 1834
Pocahontas, 1837
f Hampton J
1879! 1
Lady Langden,
L         1868
'{
ROYAL HAMPTON,
1882
f King
Tom, J
1851         1
'1
. 1872
Mrs. Lincoln, f North Lincoln, 1856
1866         \ King Alfred's Dam, 1856
The skull, in addition to showing the faint tracé of a preorbital
depression common to most Thoroughbreds, is noteworthy for
retaining the characteristic sinuous Arab profile, which is always
a character of Horses descended from " King Tom."
Another Thoroughbred stallion of which the skull (N.H. 12)
is exhibited is " Donovan," who was foaled in 1886 and died in
February, 1905. He ran 21 races in 1888 and 1889, out of
-ocr page 31-
25
FAMOUS THOROUGHBREDS.
which he won 18. The skull. was presented by the Duke of
Portland in 1905. Donovan's pedigree is given below:—
Vedette,
1854
r
r Voltigeur, 1847
\ Daughter of, 1849
j Flying Dutchman, 1846
1         Merope, 1843
f Lord of the Mes, 1852
Galopin,
1872
i Flying Dutchess.
L         1853
DONOVAN,
1886
f Scottish Chief,
1861
Miss Ann, 1846
Stockwell, 1849
Go-ahead, 1853
Mowerina,
1876
Stockings,
1863
{
To show the characters of the Thoroughbred head, that of
"CorrieRoy," amarefoaled in 1878, who diedin 1901, is exhibited.
She was the winner of the St. Ebor Handicap and the Manchester
November Handicap, 1883. The head (N.H. 10) was presented
by Sir J. Blundell Maple, her owner, in 1901. The legs of the
same mare are also exhibited, as a contrast to those of a Shire
Cart-Horse.
Passing on to statuettes of Thoroughbreds, the first for inention
is that of the celebrated English stallion "Persimmon" (N.H. 118),
owned by H.M. the King. "Persimmon" was foaled in 1893;
his sire being " St. Simon," and his dam " Perdita II." He was
winner of the Derby and the St. Leger in 1896, and of the Ascot
Gold Cup and Eclipse Stakes in 1897. The statuette was
presented by H.R.H, the Frince of Wales in 1 905. Persimmon's
pedigree is as follows :—
Vidette, 1854
Flying Duehess, 1853
King Tom, 1851
Adeline, 1851
Lord Clifden, 1860
Lady Langden, 1868
Young Melbourne, 1855
La Belle Helene, 1866
Galopin,
1872
I
f St. Simon,
1881
{
1
St. Angela, J
1865
i
PERSIMMON,
1893
Ilainpton,
1872
Perdita II, |
1881 j
Hermione,
1875
-ocr page 32-
2(5
THE HORSE FAMILY.
Anotber statuette (N.H. 119) is that of the Thoroughbred
chestnut stallion " Zinfandel," a son of " Persimmon" out of
" Medora." He was foaled May 6th, 1900 j and was winner of
the Ascot Gold Vase, the Manchester Cup, and the Brighton Cup
in 1903, and of the Jockey Club Cup at the Newtnarket Houghton
Meeting in 1904. The statuette was presented by the owner,
Lord Howard de Walden, in 1905.
Statuettes of several half-bred stallions and mares are also
shown.
In a case alongside one of the pillars on the north side of the
hall are exhibited the bones of the left limbs of the Thoroughbred
" Stockwell" (N.H. 97, 98) alongside those of the Shire Horse
"Blaisdon Conqueror" (N.H. 99, 100). In the following table
the measurements of the limb-bones of " Stockwell" are contrasted
with thos-e of a Cart-Horse :—
Race-llorse.        Cart-Horse.
fHumerus ............ 13£ in.             14§ in.
liadius.................. 15                     14|
Metacarpus............ 10|                   10£
lst Phalange ......... 4                       3|
rFemm-................. 17                     18|
Hind-J Tibia................. 15                     15'
Limb. ] Metatarsus............ 12|                  llf
List Phalange ......... 8|                    4
From this it will be seen that while the upper segment of
the limbs (humerus and femur) is shorter in the Raee-Horse
than in the Cart-Horse, the reverse is the case with most of the
other bones. This greater proportionate length of the lower part
of the leg probably gives greater speed in the Race-Horse ; but
a larger series of specimens is necessary before it can be definitely
affirmed that these proportions are constant.
Specimens Of The Shire Horse, so-called from being chiefly bred
the Shire in the Midland Counties, and the most powerful
Horse.          animal of its kind, is the descendant of the old
English Great Horse, or Black Horse, which was used as a war-
horse when armour was worn, and was capable of carrying 32 stone.
By Queen Elizabeth's time it was relegated to the duties of a coach-
-ocr page 33-
.2?
SH1RE HORSES.
horse, and is now employed only as a draught-horse. In colourit
is generally black, often witli a white star on the forehead and
white fetlocks; the tail and mane are profuse, and the legs very
hairy. Although originally English, the Shire Horse was in early
days crossed with Neapolitan and Flanders Horses (which have
Barb blood in their veins) if not with the Barb itself, and it has
been suggested that the colour of the breed is largely due to Barb
ancestry. Evidence of such a crossing appears to be afForded by
the presence of a distinct depression in front of the eye-socket in
the skull of this breed (fig. 17); such a depression being, as already
mentioned, characteristic of Barbs, Arabs, and Thoroughbreds.
In the limb-bones the rudimentary lateral digits are very strongly
developed (see page 10).
Among specimens of this breed exhibited in the North Hall is
the skull (N.H. 8, fig. ] 7) of " Blaisdon Conqueror." This famous
horse, whose sire was " Hitchin Conqueror " and dam " Welcome,"
was foaled in 1894, and died in October, 1904. He stood 17 hands,
2 inches in height, and was placed in the first class and won inany
cups and other prizes at the Shire Horse Show at Islington in
1899, 1902, and 1904. His number was 15989 in the Shire
Horse Stud-book. The skull and limb-boues were presented by
the breeder and owner, Mr. P. Stubs, in 1905. The limbs of the
left side are exhibited, as mentioned above, alongside those of the
Thoroughbred " Stockwell."
In the same year as the last the Museum also received the skull
of another Shire Stallion, " Prince William " (N.H. 22), who was
foaled in 1883, and died in 1905. His Stud-book number was
3956, and his breeder Mr. W. H. Potter. The skull was presented
by Lady Wantage in 1905. Both in this and the last specimen
the vestige of' the preorbital depression is very clearly displayed.
The cannon-bones of '' Prince William" (fig. 7) are exhibited
in one of the table-cases, to show the great development of the
splint-bones characteristic of this breed. For remarks concerning
these and other specimens of the feet c^ Shire Horses see page 10.
The large case in the central arch on the northern side of the
hall contains the mounted head (N.H. 5) and skull (N.H. 23) of
the famous Shire Mare " Starlight," presented in 1906 by
Mrs. Crisp, the widow of the owner, Mr. F. Crisp, of' Long
-ocr page 34-
28
THE HORSE FAMILY.
Stanton, Cambridgeshire. This mare was foaled in 1882 and died
in 1899, her sire being " Sir Colin " and her dam " Williamson's
Mettle." She was winner of a large number of first and
champion prizes at various shows, and likewise took the gold
medal at the London Shire Horse Show in 1890, 1891, and
1892.
Th Hl H           Great interest attaches to a mounted specimen of
a Dun Khatiawar Pony (N.H. 4) from Ahmed-
**          nagar, India, exhibited in the case in the central arch
on the uorth side of the hall, on account of the presence of a dark
dorsal stripe and of' zebra-like markings on the legs, as well as of a
tracé of a shoulder-stripe. The specimen was presented by the
Superintendant of the Veterinary Department, Bombay, in 1903.
Ponies of this breed are referred to by Darwin on account of dun-
coloured specimens (like the one exhibited) so frequently showing
dark barrings on the legs. The breed lias been regarded as
mainly derived from the Arab, and very probably it may have been
crossed with the latter. In general colouring, and especially in
the presence of a dark stripe down the back, as well as in the large
size of the head and relatively low setting-on of the tail, which is
sparsely haired at the root, where some of the hairs are tan-
coloured, dun-coloured individuals are, however, much more like
the Dun Norwegian Pony and the Wild Mongolian Horse.
Arabs apparently never show a dark dorsal streak, which is
essentially a character of the dun northern type. Unfortunately
no specimen of the skull is at present available for a comparison of
the cheek-teeth with those of the Wild Mongolian H)rse.
Th PIT • I ^e neares*; üving relative of the Horse is the Central
,              Asian species represented by the Chigetai of the
■* Mongols and the Kiang of the Ladakis; these being
apparently local races of a single species, Equus hemionus. These
animals are commonly termed Wild Asses, although they have no
near relationship to the true Wild Asses {Equus asinus) of Africa.
Like all the undermentioned members of the family, the species
differs from the Horse by the absence of callosities on the hind-
limbs, and the large size and less warty nature of the front
callosities ; as well as by the tail having long hairs only near the tip.
-ocr page 35-
KIANG.                                                   29
The Chigetai-Kiang is a native of Mongolia and Turkestan,
ranging northwards to Transbaikalia and westwards to Transcaspia.
In size it is large, the height at the shoulder reaching to
12| hands. The ears (in comparison with those of E. usinus) are
relatively small and horselike; and the hoofs are large and broad,
the width of the front pair markedly exceeding that of the hind
ones. The tail-tuft is large, and a slight rudiment of a forelock is
present. A relatively narrow dark dorsal stripe reaching the tail-
tuft, and (in most cases at any rate) not bordered with white, is
present; but there is no shoulder-stripe, or dark barrings on the
limbs, although there is a dark ring immediately above the hoofs.
The general colour of the upper-parts, in the sumnier coat, varies
from bright rufous chestnut (with a more or less marked tinge of
greyish fawn on the neck) to reddish sandy; but the muzzle, the
inside of the ear, the throat, under-parts, the inner side of the legs,
and a streak on the buttoeks, are pure white or buffish white. In
the long winter coat the general colour is apparently not distinctly
grey, although greyish in the typical form. The cry is a
" shrieking bray."
The Kiang {Equus hemionus kiang, hg. 19), of Ladak and Tibet,
as may be seen by comparing the mounted specimen (M. 1013) in
the lower mammal gallery of the Museum with the example of
the Somali Wild Ass standing in the same case, is characterised
by the great width of the hoofs, more especially the front pair. In
this respect it approaches Equus caballus (as it does in its
relatively small ears and its colour), and differs widely from
E. asinus. The Ghor-khar and Onagers, on the other hand, have
small and narrow hoofs, like those of the last-named species.
The Kiang is by far the reddest of all the Asiatic Wild Asses,
and apparently becomes but little greyer in winter. In addition to
its small ears, broad hoofs, narrow dorsal stripe, and general
colour, it is affiliated to Equus caballus (inclusive of the Wild
Horse of Mongolia, E. c. przevalskii) by the nature of its cry,
which is to a great extent intermediate between that of the Horse
and the Ass; although there is a certain amouut of discrepancy
between the description of the Kiang's call given by different
observers. General Cunningham, for instance, in his work on
"Ladak," calls it a neigh, and other observers have describedit as
-ocr page 36-
30
THE HOBSE FAMILY.
much like neighing as braying; but Moorcroft and General
Strachey described it as more like braying than neighing, the
latter traveller observing that " my impression of the voice of the
Kiang is that it is a shrieking bray, not like that of the Common
Ass, but still a real bray, and not a neigh." It is perfectly
distinct from the bray of E. asinus, and also differs from the cry
of one of the races of E. onager.
A sinuous profile, a narrow chocolate dorsal stripe, and chest-
nut body-colour, with pure white on the muzzle, shoulder, under-
parts and inner sides of the limbs are distinctive features of the
Kiang.
The typical race of the species (Equus hemionus typicus),
inhabiting Mongolia and Turkestan, is termed Chigetai by the
Mongols and Kulan by the Tatars and Kirghiz. It is at present
not shown in the collection. In its make and actions—espeeially
of starting when alarraed with the head so elevated that the plane
of the face is almost horizontal—as well as in the general type of
colouring, the Chigetai agrees essentially with the Kiang. Both in
the winter and summer coat it lacks, however, the distinctly rufous-
chestnut tint characteristic of the latter, while it is also characterised
by the less marked contrast between the light and dark areas of
the coat; the light areas on the muzzle, buttocks, legs, under-
parts, etc, being " isabella-coloured " instead of white, and thus
less difFerentiated from the fawn of the rest of the body; while
the light areas on the neck and shoulder are smaller. The general
colour is pale sandy fawn, with the tips of the ears, mane, dorsal
stripe (which is continued down the tail) brown ; and there seems
little difference in this respect between the summer and the winter
coat.
_, -                  The next Asiatic representative of the family is the
Onager or Ghor-khar (Equus onager) of the
Ghor-khar. desert ,jisiricts of Western and W. Central Asia
and North-Western India, where it is represented by several local
races. In size it is considerably less than E. hemionus, the
minimum recorded beight being 11 and the maximum 11| hands.
The ears are apparently much the same as in the latter; and the
hoofs are narrow and Ass-like ; the front pair being but little wider
than the bind pair. The profile of the face is either nearly straight
-ocr page 37-
81
ONAGER.
or markedly sinuous ; the tail-tuft is moderate, and the dark dorsal
stripe is very broad, in some cases stopping short of the tail-tuft,
and bordered, at least posteriorly, by a band of white or whitish,
which joins the white on the buttocks and the back of the thighs.
The upper-parts, iu the summer coat, are usually some shade of
pale reddish fawn or sandy (isabelline); while the light areas,
which vary from pure white to whity brown, are much the same
in extent as those of E. hemionus, but extend more on to the
buttocks, and thence along the sides of the dorsal stripe, and in
some cases occupy more of the body and head. In winter the long
and rough coat becomes more or less decidedly grey, and in one
race is distinctly mouse-grey with sharply defined white areas.
The cry of the Indian Ghor-khar is a " shrieking bray," and
therefore not unlike that of the Kiang; but in the case of the
Syrian Onager, and probably also in that of the true Onager, it is
stated to be more like that of the Ass, to the wild forms of which
the species approximates iu its narrow hoofs, broad dorsal stripe,
small tail-tuft, and grey colour of the winter coat in at least one
loeal race.
The Onager appears to be represented in a Prehistorie sketch
incised on a fragment of Reindeer antler discovered iu the cave of
Kesslerloch, Schaffhausen.
No specimen of this species is at present exhibited.
Of the local races ot' this species, the first is the Indian Ghor-
khar (Equus onager indicus) of the deserts of' Sind, Kach, and
Baluchistan. The height at the shoulder reaches 11| hands, and
the profile of the face is straight. The general colour of the
upper-parts is sandy in summer, with the light band on each side
of the dorsal stripe narrow, ill-defined, and whitey-brown in colour,
and the white on the ramp not pure. The broad dorsal stripe does
not reach the tail-tuft.
The second race is the Kobdo Onager {Equus onager caslaneus,
tig. 20), from Kirghis-Nor, Kobdo, in Western Mongolia, charac-
terised by the straight profile of the face, the rufous isabella hue of
the summer coat, the full mouse-grey colour of the winter coat, the
large amount of pure white on the buttocks, and the distinctness of
the pure white band on each side of the dorsal stripe, which extends
quite down to the tail-tuft. The broad chocolate-coloured dorsal
-ocr page 38-
32
THE H0RSE FAMILY.
stripe reaches to the tail-tuft, and is bordered on each side by a
wide pure white band, expanding to join a large white blaze on the
buttocks and the hind surface of the thighs. The other light areas
are the muzzle, throat, chest, under-parts, and inner sides and
lower portions of the limbs ; the inside of the ears being greyish
white, while elsewhere the general colour in the winter coat is grey-
fawn, with a faint tinge of sandy rufous in places. In the summer
coat the dark areas are bright sandy fawn or rufous isabella, with a
white rump-patch, muzzle, and under-parts ; the sides of the face
and throat, as vvell as the outer side of the lower part of the legs,
being pale isabella, as is also an indistinct line on the flank in
front of the thigh. In no other Onager with a uniform body-
colour is there such a large white rump-patch.
The Syrian Onager (Equics onager hemippus), of the deserts
between Bagdad and Palmyra, Mesopotamia, and North Arabia, is
reddish isabella-colour above, with the dorsal stripe not extending
to the root of the tail, of which the tip is moderately haired; the
throat, the under-parts, a broad band on eacb side of the dorsal
stripe, the hind border of the thigh, and an oblique band above
the flanks are silver-white. So far as is known, the profile is
sinuous, and the ears and head are relatively small.
The fourth race is the Persian Onager (Equus onager typicus)
of Northern Persia, characteristic by the predominance of the
white over the fawn-coloured areas of the head and body. The
general colour is silvery white; the dorsal stripe does not reach
the tail-tuft ; and the head, tne sides of the neck, a small, ill-
defined band in front of the shoulder, a larger quadrangular patch
on the sides of the body, the middle of the hip, and the upper part
of the limbs are isabella-colour. The profile is remarkably convex,
and the ears are relatively small. This race is the lightest in
colour of all the Asiatic Wild Asses, the fawn-coloured area being
reduced to large isolated patches.
, The species known as Grrévy's Zebra (Equus grevyi,
yS M. 1025, fig. 21), which inhabits Somaliland and
Abyssinia, and is thus the most northeily of the striped
group, is rnarkedly different in many respects from the true Zebras
and Quaggas. The arrangement of the striping on the hind-
quartcrs is altogether unique ; the callosities on the fore-legs are as
-ocr page 39-
.33
QUAGGA.
«mail as in the Horse ; and, as in that species, the mane extends on
to the withers, and the tail-tuft is large and full. Furthermore, the
large, broad, and thickly-haired ears are quite different from those of
all other members of the family, which are narrow and pointed. The
large size of the ears and the narrowness of the stripes appear to be
adapiations to a life partially spent in thick scrub, as is shown in
a photograph by Lord Delamere, exhibited in the lower mammal
gallery. A fine male specimen of the species, presented by
Gen. Sir A. H. Fitzroy Paget, is shown in the large Zebra case
in the same gallery.
The colour-pattern of Grévy's Zebra may be described as
follows :—The dark (dark brown or black) and light stripes on the
body, head, and limbs are for the most part very narrow, widening
out only on the lower jaw, on the neck, and on the lower part of
the thigh. On the flank none of the stripes bend backwards and
■upwards to extend on to the hind-quarters, the upper portion of
which is marked with vertical stripes arranged concentrically round
the root of the tail. The dorsal stripe is very broad, especially
near the middle of the back ; and there are no transverse stripes on
the under-parts. The stripes on the nose practically stop short
of the nostril-patches, and the nose itself is greyish.
lt will be evident from this description that in the present
species the stripes on the rump have their concavity directed
upwards, whereas in the next species the convexity is upwards.
Two races, or subspecies, of Grévy's Zebra have been named.
_. _             The extinct South African Quagga (Equus quagga,
e yuagga. M j g 17 fig 22), together with the following striped
species, has the callosities on the front legs larger than in Grévy's
Zebra, and the stripes broader. In this group, whenever the hind-
quarters are striped, the stripes are obliquely longitudinal, with
the uppermost ones arising from the posterior region of the body,
where their upper extremities are bent backwards towards the root
of the tail in such a manner that there is no concentric arrangement
round the latter. The muzzle is dark, and usually black, and the
stripes on the nose are continuous with the dark patches round the
nostrils. The ears are narrow.
In the Quagga, which was confined to the plains south of the
Orange River, the ears are comparatively small, the front hoofs are
D
-ocr page 40-
34
THE HOBSE FAMILY.
rather large, and full striping is developed only on the head, neck,
and fore-quarters, although in some specimens spots on the flanks
indicate disappearing stripes further back. The stripes do not
extend across the lower surface of the body. The general colour
appears to have been yellowish red, or chestnut.
The species is represented in the collection by the mounted skin
and the skeleton of a male formerly living in the Zoological
Gardens in Regent's Park. That animal, which was one of the last
survivors of the species, was presented to the Zoological Society
by Sir George Grey, K.C.B, in 1858, and lived in the Menagerie
in the Regent's Park till June 1864.
The skin is exhibited in case No. 38, in the lower mammal
gallery, and the skull on the opposite si de of the same case.
This skull shows a vestige of a eavity in front of the eye-socket.
It is very probable that several local races of the Quagga
formerly existed, and four of these have already been reeognized
and named. In the case of an extinct species it is, however, very
difficult to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion with regard to
its local forms.
The following observations in regard to the colouring of
Quaggas and Zebras appeared in Nature for 1903.
I
Colouring of The testimony of observers in the field has established
Quaggas the truth that the coloration of the coat renders a
and Zebras. Zebra invisible under three conditions, namely, at a
distance on the open plain in midday, at close quarters in the
dusk and on moonlit nights, and in the cover afforded by thickets.
One reason for this is the blending of the white stripes with the
shafts of light sifted through the foliage and branches and reflected
by the leaves of the trees, so that in an uncertain light or at long
range these mutually counteract each other and fuse to a uniform
grey. It is also probable that the alternate arrangement of the
black and white bars contributes something to the effect produced,
by imparting a blurred appearance to the body and destroying the
evenness of its surface owiug to the difference in light-reflecting
power between hairs of these hues. Again, the extension of the
stripes to the edge of the body and legs breaks up the continuity
of the outline, this being apparently the reason for the alteration
in their direction on the hind-quarters and limbs, so that, except
-ocr page 41-
35
BONTE-QUAGGA.
on the forehead, the whole animal is barred transversely with
reference to the lines of its spine and limbs.
It is also stated that the Asses of the deserts of North-East
Africa are perfeetly adapted to their surroundings in colour, and
no one can doubt that the assimilation is equally perfect in the
case of the Kiang and the Wild Horse of Central Asia. In the
matter of colouring the Kiang recalls the Quagga, despite a
difference in the deepness of the brown pervading the upper-parts
in the two species. Notwithstanding this difference, there seems
no question that the explanation of the significance of the colouring
of the Kiang applies with equaï truth to the Quagga. This
explanation is the action of light and shade.
In the Kiang it will be noticed that the upper-parts, on which
the light falls, are of a rich ruddy hue, darker than ordinary sand,
while the muzzle, the Jower side of the head, the throat and
under-parts are creamy white; an arrangement which must render
it practically invisible when standing in the desert at a distance.
The white limbs and backs of the thighs may be explained as
follows:—When a Kiang lies down, with the hind-quarters
depressed, the fore-legs folded and the hind-legs tucked in close to
the body, the white on the back of the thighs is brought into line
with that of the belly, and a continuous expanse of white, obliter-
ating the shadow, extends all along the underside from the knee
to the root of the tail. The same is the case with the Quagga and
the under-mentioned Bonte-Quagga; and it indicates, in the case
of the latter, the meaning of the change in pattern presented
by the different local races as we pass from Somaliland southwards
into Cape Colony. In correlation with the adoption of a life in
the open, a new method of concealment by means of shadow
counteraction was required, and was perfected by the toning down
of the stripes on the upper side and the suppression of those on
the hind-quarters, legs, and under-parts.
_ l mi 7 l Although the typical southern race of the
.             ' exceedingly variable species known as Eguus
or Bonte-Quagga. burchelli is commoniy Called Burchell's Zebra,
it is much better designated by its Boer title of Bonte-Quagga
(i. e. Painted Quagga), since this obviates the use of such incon-
-ocr page 42-
36
THE HOKSE FAMILY.
venient names as " Chapman's BurchelFs Zebra." The species is
very closely allied to the Quagga, from which perhaps it is not
really separable; but the stripes are always well developed on the
hind-quarters, where they present the characters mentioned under
the heading of that anirnal. The species displays remarkable
variation in colouring and markings as we proceed from south to
north; the typical southern race (fig. 23) having dark brown
stripes with intervening brown " shadow-stripes " on an orange
ground, and unstriped legs, whereas in the northern race (fig. 24)
the stripes, which are black on a white ground, extend down to
the hoofs, and have no intervening shadow-stripes.
In all cases the upper extremities of some five or six stripes on
the hind half of the body are bent backwards parallel to the dorsal
stripe; while the light area between these body-stripes and the
dorsal stripe is continued to the root of the tail, and is not crossed
by transverse bars, but traversed longitudinally by the backward
extension of at least one of the body-stripes.
The typical Burchell's Bonte-Quagga, or Burchell's Zebra (Equus
burchelli typicus, M. 1018, fig. 23), now nearly, if not cotnpletely,
extinct as a wild animal, formerly inhabited British Bechuanaland
and some of the adjacent districts in enormous droves. In this race
the ground-colour is orange, and the shadow-stripes on the hind-
quarters are very strongly marked, and narrower than the main
stripes, which are themselves broader than the light interspaces
containing the shadow-stripes. The hind-quarters have only a
few short stripes below the long stripe running to the root of the
tail; the body-stripes stop short on the sides of the under-parts,
so as to be widely separated from the longitudinal ventral stripe ;
and, with the occasional exception of a few on the kneesand hoeks,
the legs are devoid of stripes, as are usually the sides of the tail.
This race is represented by a specimen from the Orange River
Colony, the gift of the Hon. Walter Rothschild.
The next race (and only some of the more important ones are
here referred to) is the Damaraland Bonte-Quagga (E. burchelli
antiquorum) in which stripes are developed above the knees and
hoeks, but none (or very few) below. It is unrepresented in the
exhibited series.
With the Zulu Bonte-Quagga (E. burchelli wahlbergï) we
-ocr page 43-
37
BONTE-QUAGGA.
reach a race in which, like all those which follow, the body-stripes
meet the ventral stripe inferiorly, while the legs are more or less
fully striped. In this particular race the shadow-stripes
on the hind-quarters are strongly developed, and not much
narrower than the main stripes, which are narrower than the inter-
vening spaces; and the fetlocks and pasterns are devoid of stripes or
spots. This race is represented in the collection by a specimen
(M. 1022) purchased in 1846 from Mr. Wahlberg, after whom it is
named. In Chapman's Bonte-Quagga (E. burchelli chapmanï) the
shadow-stripes have become faint and narrow, the legs are marked to
the hoofs, but the stripes on their lower portions tend to break up
into spots, and the inferiorpart of the pasterns is not wholly black.
This race inhabits the country between Damaraland and Mata-
bililand; it is represented in the exhibited collection only by a
photograph. The last representative of the species in which
shadow-stripes are distinctly developed is the Mashona Bonte-
Quagga [E. burchelli selousï), of which an example shot by Mr. F.
C. Selous (M. 1023) is exhibited in the large case in the Horse
bay in the lower mammal gallery. It differs from the last in
that the striping of the legs is complete right down to the hoofs;
the pasterns being striped on both sides, and their lower part,
owing to the fusioa of several stripes, wholly black. The sides
of the tail are also striped.
All the foregoing races inhabit the country south of the
Zambesi, but they have a representative north of that river in the
Kilimanjaro Bonte-Quagga {E. burchelli boehmi, M. 1021),
which is nearly allied to E. b. selousi, but retains scarcely any
tracé of shadow-stripes, while the stripes on the pasterns remain
distinct from one another. The shadow-stripes are frequently
visible only on the hind-quarters. The specimen exhibited was
presented by the Hon. Walter Rothschild.
The most northern members of the species are Crawshay's
Bonte-Quagga (E. burchelli crawshayi) of British Central Africa, or
Nyasaland, represented by a head (M. 1019) given by Lt.-Col.
Manning in 1901, and Grant's Bonte-Quagga (E. burchelli granti)
M. 1020, iig. 24), ranging from British East Africa (Masailand)
to Southern Abyssinia, of which a complete specimen from Lake
Baringo is shown. In both races the shadow-stripes have
-ocr page 44-
38
THE HORSE FAMILY.
completely disappeared, and the principal stripes on the hind-
quarters are not narrower (and may be broader) tban the
intervening spaces, which are white. In E. burchelli crawshayi
the stripes are relatively narrow and deep black in colour, while
the nostril-patches are yellowish brown, or tan, and the pastern^
are coloured like those of E. burchelli selousi. In E. burchelli
granti, on the other hand, the stripes are broader and apparently
less completely black, while the nostril-patches are black, and the
stripes on nearly the whole of the pasterns have fused into a
continuous black patch.
The difference between E. burchelli granti and E. burchelli
lypicus, in the matter of colour and pattern, is much greater than
that between the latter and E. quagga.
The Zebra Tnetrue Zebra (%M zebra, M. 1024, fig. 25), often
termed the Mountain Zebra, in order to distinguish it
from the Bonte-Quagga or Burchell's Zebra of the plains, is a very
different animal to the last, and much more nearly related to the Ass.
In the first place, the direction of the hairs along the spine between
the withers and the rump is reversed, so that they are inclined
forwards instead of backwards. Secondly, the ears are louger, the
hoofs are narrower, and the tail-tuft is more scanty. Thirdly, all
the body-stripes, with the exception of two passing on to the rump
and hind-quarters, are continued upwards to meet the longitudinal
dorsal stripe which they cut at right angles; while the area on
the rump between the dorsal stripe and the uppermost haunch-stripe
running to the root of the tail, in place of being longitudinally
striped, is marked by a series of transverse bars forming a
"gridiron-pattern." The body-stripes stop short on the sides, so
as to be far removed from the ventral stripe.
The Zebra was formerly found in all the mountain-ranges of
Cape Colony, but is now restricted to the Cradock district, where
it is protected by law. It was from this locality that the specimen
exhibited in the Lower Mammal Gallery was obtained. The
species is represented in Angola by Penrice's Zebra (E. zebra
penriceï), and in Damaraland by Hartmann's Zebra {E. z. hart-
matinee), which are, however, perhaps not separable from one
another.
-ocr page 45-
AFRICAN ASS.                                                    Ó\f
«..         In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
., .          for 1904 (p. 181) Prof. J. C. Ewart described a Zebra,
probably from the district between the upper part of the
Tana Kiver and Lake Eudolf, resembling E. zebra in height, the
form and size of the head, ears, and muzzle, in the characters of
the mane, taii, and hoofs, and also in the gridiron-pattern of the
rump-stripes. It differs from that species in the backward
inclination of the hairs of the broad dorsal stripe, and in certain
details of striping and colour; the ground-colour being rich
cream. The name of Ward's Zebra was suggested for this
animal.
In the same Journal for 1906 (p. 691) the Hon. Walter
Rothschild described, as Equus annectans, a Zebra from N. E.
Rhodesia distinguished by its narrow white stripes and broad
black stripes extending from behind the ears to the root of the
taii. The longitudinal stripes, which extend from the root of the
taii more towards the shoulder thau in any other Zebra, are united
to the transverse stripes, instead of being broken, as in most
races of the Bonte-Quagga. In the absence of chestnut on the
face it resembles E. burchelli selousi. The head, lirnbs, and taii
are evenly marked with narrow white stripes on a black grouud ;
and the ears are also strongly striped. The skull is stated to
be intermediate between that of the Zebra and that of the
Bonte-Quagga. Another Zebra, from German East Africa, has
been named by Dr. P. Matschie (Weidwerk in Wort und Bild,
1906, p. 236) as Hijpotigris muansce.
The last of the living representatives of the Horse
' family is the Ass {Equus asinus), which in a domesticated
condition, is found almost throughout the habitable world, and as
a wild animal in North-eastern Africa, south of the Tropic, from
Upper Nubia to Sonialiland. It is the only Wild Ass found within
the tropics, and the only one which is completely grey at all
seasons of the year. The typical form of the species appears to
be the Domesticated Ass of North-westeru Europe.
The bodily size in the wild state is medium or large, the height
at the shoulder ranging from 3 ft. 9| in. to 4 ft. 1 in. The ears
are very long, the hoofs small and narrow, with no marked
-ocr page 46-
40
THE HOKSE FAMILY.
superiority ia the size of the front pair; while the tail-tuft is
moderate, and there is no tracé of a fore-lock. The dark dorsal
stripe is narrow, and in some cases discontinuous, not reaching the
tail-tuft, and being without white borders. Either a shoulder-
stripe or dark barrings on the legs, or both together (in the
domesticated race), are present, and there is no dark ring above the
hoofs. There is a distinct white ring round the eye, but no white
on the buttocks or rump. The general colour of the upper-parts is
at all seasons pure or tawny grey-fawn; the muzzle, a ring round each
«ye, the under surface of the lower jaw, the inside of the ear, the
under-parts, and the inner surface and much of the lower portion
of the legs, being pure white. Apparently there is no marked (if
any) difference, either in colour or length, between the summer
and the winter coat. The cry is a bray.
There are two wild races of the species, namely the Nubian Wild
Ass (Equus asinus africanus, M. 1014, fig. 26) inhabiting North-
eastern Africa, that is to say Senaar and Nubia; its range formerly
extending as far as the fifth cataract of the Nile, and eastwards to
the Itiver Atbara and the Datiakil district, but not including
Abyssinia. It is half-wild in Socotra. Year by year the range
of this race appears to become more and more restricted; and
unless measures be taken for its protection, there is danger that it
may be exterminated. The race is characterised by its generally
inferior size (ranging from about 3 ft. 9^ in. to 3 ft. 11^ in.) as
compared with the Somali race, the generally greyish fawn-colour,
the continuous, although very narrow dorsal stripe, the presence
of a short shoulder-stripe, and of a dark patch on each side of the
front fetlock, and the absence of distinct dark barrings on the
legs.
It is represented in the lower mammal gallery by a male
specimen (M. 1014) from Nakheila, on the Atbara Biver,
presented by the Hon. Charles N. Rothschild in 1904, and also
by the head of a female from Yalalub, Eastern Sudan, given by
Mr. H. YV. Haig.
A small breed of Nubian Wild Asses inhabits the island of
Socotra. These Asses, which appear to have been originally
imported from the mainland, stand only about 3J feet at the
shoulder. They are characterised by perfect similarity in colour
-ocr page 47-
11
SOMA LI ASS.
and markings, the nose, a wide ring round the eye, as well as the
chest and belly, being white, and the legs nearly so, thus con-
trasting strongly with the mouse-coloured head and back. The
black stripes on the shoulder and down the middle of the back,
and a few somewhat irregular dusky rings round the legs, are also
clearly defined.
ïhe second, or Somali, race (Equus asinus somaliensis
M. 10I5); ranges from Somaliland, througfrDanakil and Gallaland,
to the Ked Sea. It is distinguished from the Nubian race by
its superior size, the pale and more greyish colour, the absence
of a shoulder-stripe, the slightly developed and discontinuous
dorsal stripe, and the presence of a number of distinct black bars
on the legs, and of a brownish patch on the front of each foot
above the hoof. The head and ears are also relatively shorter,
with less black on the front of the tips, the mane is longer and
inclined to be pendent; and the white round the eye and on the
muzzle is less pure and less sharply defined from the fawn, while
there is no white on the underside of the lower jaw and the angle
of the throat.
It is represented in the exhibited collection by a mounted male
specimen (M. 10) presented by Gen. Sir A. H. Fitzroy Paget
in 1893.
The Domesticated Ass is undoubtedly the direct descendant of
one or both of the wild races; and, unlike the Horse, exhibits
very little variatiori from the ancestral type; sneb modifications as
do exist being restricted to colour and size. The colourvariations
consist of a tendency to albinism on the one hand, and melanism
on the other; the extremes being represented respectively by white
and by black Asses. As regards size, the extreme modification is
represented by the Dwarf Ass of India and Ceylon, whicb does not
stand more t'han about two feet at the shoulder.
In Egypt the Ass was known in a domesticated state long
previous to the Horse; and a skull from an Egyptian tomb
(N. H. 24), presented in 1900 by Professor Flinders-Petrie, is
exhibited in the large Horse case in the north hall. The only
other specimens illustrating this species are two skulls (N.H. 26,
27) male and female, from Aden, presented by the Royal Society
in 1899.
.15
-ocr page 48-
42
THE HORSE FAMILY.
H ■ .. It is propable that all the existing members of the Horse
family will interbreed, although their ofFspring is almost
invariably infertile. The most common hybrid is the Mule, the
product of the male Ass with the female Horse; the opposite hybrid
being the Hinny, a much rarer cross. No specimen of either of
these hybrids is shown; the only hybrid Equine exhibited being a
crossbetween a male Zebra (Equus zebra) and a female Gbor-khar,
or Onager (E. onager). In this hybrid (N. H. 125), which was
foaled in the Zoological Society's Menagerie in the Regent's Park
the general characters are those of the Ass, as is exemplified by the
large ears, the strongly marked shoulder-stripe, and the nearly
uniform body-colour. In the distinctly striped legs, as well as in
the darker flecking of the body (representing disappearing stripes)
Zebra-characters are, however, displayed; the striping of the
Zebras and Quaggas, which appears to have been inherited from
the ancestors of the family, beiug a " prepotent" feature always
strongly pronounced in hybrids of this nature.
Two other hybrids are represented by pictures. The first is
Prof. Ewarts5 " Romnlus," the ofFspring of a male Bonte-Quagga
or BurchelFs Zebra (Equus burchelü) and a West Highland Pony
mare, of which two photographs are shown. The second, repre-
sented by a painting executed and presented by Miss Nellie Hadden
in 1904, is a hybrid brought to this country by Lord Kitchener
and presented to H.M. the King, by whom it was desposited in
the Menagerie of the Zoological Society. lts sire was a Pony, and
its dam a Bonte-Quagga (BurchelFs Zebra). It is noteworthy
that although both these hybrids are very fully striped, the
general body-colour (bay) of the Horse is retained.
2p«f.
-ocr page 49-
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-ocr page 50-
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