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Show 430 ON THE SKULL AND MARKINGS OF THE QUAGGA. [Mar. 15, the same general colour as the unstiiped hind-quarters. This type of colouring is very conspicuous in the Quagga in the Amsterdam Museum (text-fig. 86)*. From the occurrence of these white stripes Mr. Pocock and myself have been induced to regard all the mounted specimens of the Quagga now remaining, together with the one represented in York's photograph, as racially distinct from the Quaggas figured by the older writers. This, if true, would certainly be a very remarkable circumstance ; and I have now come to the conclusion that it is not supported by the evidence. Text-fig. 86. Quagga in the Amsterdam Museum. I now believe, in fact, that the difference between the coloration of the stuffed Quaggas and the figures taken from living animals or fresh skins is entirely clue to fading. On the head, neck, and fore-quarters the original blackish-brown stripes have faded to a brownish fawn similar to that of the hind - quarters; while the fawn intervals between the black stripes have bleached to white. The result of this is to produce a type of coloration quite distinct * Mr. G. Renshaw (' Zoologist,' 1901, p. 48) has stated that the Amsterdam Quagga is one of the Knowsley specimens painted by Waterhouse Hawkins. This, however, is denied by Dr. C. Kerbert, Director of ' Natura Artis Magistra,' who wrote to m e as follows :-" I beg to state that the Quagga bought by our Society at Lord Derby's sale, received Oct. 31st, 1851, died on January 2nd, 1853. The mounted specimen in our Museum was an animal bought May 9th, 1867, which died on the 12th of August, 1883." |