THE UTILISATION OF ZEBRA HYBRIDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2507, 9 April 1902, Page 8

THE UTILISATION OF ZEBRA HYBRIDS.

Incredible .is it may appear, even the introduction of nearly 20,000 mules into South Africa to assist in carrying on the pre = ent war — animals which have been bought by the nation in America and imported into the Cape at an enormous expense — has not excited the slightest attention, in this country to the merits of tins animal for tl>e service of man. That there are more agricultural mules than horses in the United States, that their. veJu£_jlfi£ ftiuaj&l is rsturji&ii M bcuut

the greater of the two, has not induced tho English people— at least those living in the United Kingdom— to pay any attention to mules and mule-breeding. Nevertheless, there are some few persons who are sufficiently interested in the subject of the utility of equine hybrids to rear them. I am old enough to rememjper quite well two hybrid quaggy being driven about the streets of London in the service of the Zoological Society. . These were beautiful animals, and it is to be <=incerely regretted that their progenitors, the quaggas, were allowed to become extinct in this country and to he exterminated in South Africa. There is not the slightest doubt that the hybrids from. s,c\eral of the zebras with the horse would be of inestimable value, but who has tho courage, the enterprise, and the intelligence to try experiments? In England at the present time one man has done so. fTe elevotod a large portion of his time and a very considerable sum of money to experiments in crossing and breeding equine animals, and 1 it is sa f isfaetory to know that his exertions were recognised, and that several of our agrieultiual .'oeieties and private individuals liavo contributed towards their being eontimied. I ncpel hardly say that I allude to the experiments, invaluable both from a practical and scientific point of view, of Professor Cossar Ewart, who has bred a very considerable number of zebra hybrids. These experiments have had the effect of completely controverting the almost universal belief in. tele-gony or the influence of a first sire, which he shows hap not the slightest foundation in fact as regards equine animals. When these hybrids have been bred they have usually been allowed to remain unutilised, and three jennets bred by different sires out of a Burehell zebra mare belonging to Lady Meux were, so far as I am aware, not broken' to harness, but kept as ornamental stock. As I _ related fome time. ago. Professor Ewarfs hybrids by a Burehell sire are thoroughly quiet in harness, and are driven about Edinburgh. I now hear from him that the hybrid bred out of a polo pony marewill bo shown at the Polo Pony Society's show at the Agricultural Hall. I have not -ecu th-s animal, but he informs me thai: it has che-stiuits or warU on the hind legs as large as those of most thoroughbreds, and: that it hai as much hair on tho root of its tail as has the newly-discovered Prejovalsky's horse. To quote Professor Ew art's own words :

"In fact, it only differs from the wild hor<=e of Central Asia in being striped. Ifc is houco quite possible that a hybrid between a kinng (or an onager) and a yellow dun, Mongolian pony would be almost identical with Prejevalsky's horse. If this proves to be the case, it will not necessarily followthat Prejevalsky's horse has sprung from, fertile hybrids between an Asiatic ass and a true horso, but rather that in Pfejevalfky's horse we have preserved an ancient type — or stage through which the domestic horse passed during its- evolution. Moreover, when we know more about the skeleton of Eqmis prejevalskn. it may turn out to be identical with the fossil horse of New Mexico (E. seotti) winch, according to very good authorities ; 'must be regarded as coeval with man ' Recently a large turn of money was placed in the hands of Professor Henry o<tbcnne of the American Museum nf Natural History to enable him to illustrate the history -)f the lirrse. 1 sunpo->e, though Englishmen spend immense sump annually on. horses devoted to sport, there is little chnnco of e\en a moderate sum being provided here for experiments with different mo iii ben o f tho hor&e family — the indifference about scientific Questions (partly begotten by ignorance and partly by success) being all but universal."

The exhibition of the zebra and polo pony hybrid will be very interesting, although ifc does not ncsessarily follow that the animal should prove a suitable mount in tho frame. It iisiorht or might not bo found readily amt'iiabl" to the rider's hand, or to po--o?^ the activity no( o<--nry -n a polo nony. but there- i\ no doubt that its exhibition will be "viewed with vorv high interest. \V R. Tkc ETifrr^R. in the Field. '•