rge animals--nearly of the shape and size of small
horses--and travelling in single file; as they were, the troop at a
distance presented something of the appearance of a "cafila," or
caravan. There were in all about fifty individuals in the line; and they
marched along with a steady sober pace, as if under the guidance and
direction of some wise leader. How very different from the capricious
and eccentric movements of the gnoos!

Individually they bore some resemblance to these last-named animals. In
the shape of their bodies and tails, in their general ground colour, and
in the "brindled" or tiger-like stripes that could be perceived upon
their cheeks, neck, and shoulders. These stripes were exactly of the
same form as those upon a zebra; but far less distinct, and not
extending to the body or limbs, as is the case with the true zebra. In
general colour, and in some other respects, the animals reminded one of
the ass; but their heads, necks, and the upper part of their bodies,
were of darker hue, slightly tinged with reddish brown. In fact, the
new-comers had points of resemblance to all four--horse, ass, gnoo, and
zebra--and yet they were distinct from any. To the zebra they bore the
greatest resemblance--for they were in reality a species of zebra--they
were quaggas.

Modern naturalists have divided the _Equidae_, or horse family, into two
genera--the horse and the ass--the principal points of distinction
being, that animals of the horse kind have long flowing manes, full
tails, and warty callosities on both hind and fore limbs; while asses,
on the contrary, have short, meagre, and upright manes, tails slender
and furnished only with long hairs at the extremity, and their hind
limbs wanting the callosities. These, however, are found on the
fore-legs as upon horses.

Although there are many varieties of the horse genus--scores of them,
widely differing from each other--they can all be easily recognised by
these characteristic marks, from the "Suffolk Punch," the great London
drayhorse, down to his diminutive little cousin the "Shetland Pony."

The varieties of the ass are nearly as numerous, though this fact is not
generally known.

First, we have the common ass, the type of the genus; and of this there
are many breeds in different countries, some nearly as elegant and as
highly prized as horses. Next there is the "onagra," "koulan," or "wild
ass," supposed to be the origin of the common kind. This is a native o