Quagga; Tring Zoological Museum; 21st March 2010

02-12-2010

Indeed, in his book The Horse and its Relatives (1912) Richard Lydekker comments that quagga’s ears are comparatively small.

Interestingly, in his book Natural History Essays (1904) Graham Renshaw writes:-
“Careful examination of several museum specimens has convinced me that the mane of the female quagga was longer than that of the male”.
I have never seen this recorded elsewhere, although I doubt Renshaw examined enough specimens for this observation to be statistically significant.

Quagga
02-12-2010

Renshaw didn't always talk sense...... Lydekker is more reliable as old 'authorities' go.

02-12-2010

Agreed entirely; Lydekker is a more reliable authority than Renshaw.

Nevertheless, Renshaw's books:-

"Natural History Essays"; "More Natural History Essays" and "Final Natural History Essays" make interesting reading.

Quagga
02-12-2010

I must look out for Renshaw's books; not seen them. My knowledge of him is from his editorship of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE [no, I'm not that old, I've got the magazines] and he talks a certain amount of, shall we say, unsubstantiated stuff [don't we all?].

02-12-2010

Interesting about Lydekker's comments on 'Ears', I was not aware of them!
I don't believe there is any distinction in mane length between male and female, but overall a shorter length than other plains zebras.

It does seem to me, particularly from looking at your Mainz postcard/photo that apart from its unique colouration and markings, the Quagga also differed from other Plains zebras in having a comparatively larger body but shorter ears and mane, possibly adapations to living at more southerly latitude. The photos of the London Quagga seem to bear this out too- a long heavy body, shorter ears and mane.

03-12-2010

I purchased Renshaw’s three volumes of natural history essays from second-hand bookshops some years ago.

•Natural History Essays (1904)
•More Natural History Essays (1905)
•Final Natural History Essays (1907)

These original versions are now scarce and hard to find; the second one seems to be the rarest of the three.

However, I believe that they have recently been reprinted by an American publisher and the new editions can be purchased on-line.

These books are all obviously out-of-date and need to be used with caution (I am far from convinced by Renshaw’s comments on quagga’s manes, for example), but they are extremely interesting and well-worth reading.

(Renshaw’s quagga essay features in the first volume; this one also includes a chapter on blauuwbok. The second one contains an interesting chapter on thylacines.)

31-12-2010

I went to the Tring Museum today (30 Dec 2010); since my last visit, several of the display cases for Perissodactyla have been rearranged. For at least 30 years to my knowledge (and likely a lot longer) the quagga shared a case with a hybrid zebra foal. The hybrid foal is no longer on exhibit and the quagga is now in the same case as a Somali wild ass, various tapirs and some rhinoceros heads. This cluttered display now makes it much harder to photograph the quagga.