242 



THE ONAGER 



The Asses and Zebras differ from the Horse in the characters 

 mentioned under the description of Equus caballus. In addition 

 to these may be pointed out a feature to which attention has 

 been directed by Mr. Tegetmeier. 1 According to him the period 

 of gestation in the Horse is only eleven months ; in the others 

 more than twelve 



Opinions as to the number of species of Asses differ. On 

 the most liberal estimate there are three Asiatic and two African 



FIG. 125. Asiatic Wild Ass. Equus onager, x -fa 



species. The best known of the Asiatic Wild Asses is the Onager, 

 E. onager. It is of a uniform yellowish, " desert " colour, with 

 a dark stripe along the middle of the back, and is found in 

 Persia, the Punjab, and the country of Cutch. The creature is 

 of great swiftness ; it has been stated to be untameable, but Mr. 

 Tegetmeier makes the absolutely opposite statement that the 

 Ass occasionally " becomes so tame as to be troublesome " ! The 

 Syrian Wild Ass, E. hemippus, hardly, if at all, differs from this. 

 r lhe Kiang, E. hemionus, seems to have more claims to 

 distinctness. In the first place it has a more limited and a 



1 Horses, Asses, and Zebras, London, 1895. 



