Zoological Society. 327 



believe that the Dzeggetai of Southern Siberia and the Wild Ass of 

 Cutch are identical in species, and yet do not wander further than is 

 necessary for forage from their respective localities. I say little of 

 the advantage of domesticating this beautiful animal in Europe, 

 but I do say that it would be worthy of the reputation of the °reat 

 Society, to continue the attempt until success crowned its efforts. 



"I wish also through the medium of the Society's Proceedings to 

 call the attention of naturalists, amateurs, and travellers, who can- 

 not even draw at all, to the means the camera lucida affords them of 

 recording outlines with celerity and precision. I exhibit to the So- 

 ciety five sketches of the two Wild Asses in the Zoological Gardens ; 

 and though I do not profess not to be able to draw, I do not hesitate 

 to say that I can give much more correct figures of animals by its means 

 than without it. It may be objected that the restlessness of animals 

 renders the use of the camera lucida abortive; but I say that the rapid- 

 ity with which the lines maybe traced with the pencil, enable a person 

 using it to make twenty sketches, where the draughtsman would other- 

 wise make but one, and it will be hard if more than one of the twenty 

 do not prove just. The five sketches exhibited were made in a few 

 minutes ; and only one proved abortive, making six attempts in all ; 

 and yet I have not used the camera lucida since 1830. The out- 

 lines have been subsequently traced in ink. I trust therefore this 

 notice may lead to its more extended use ; a use in natural history 

 that cannot fail to be beneficial to the science. One word in con< 

 elusion. I have been a declaimer in the Transactions of this Society 

 against the modern habit in natural history of generalization from a 

 limited number of facts ; and in pursuing the above inquiries I met 

 with a new proof of the risk to truth of such a system. In the hi- 

 story of the Domestic Ass it is stated, ' The countries most suitable 

 to the Ass are those of the south. Accordingly it is in Persia, Egypt, 

 and Arabia that the strongest and finest varieties of this species are 

 to be found. Some, very different from the small and feeble natives 

 of our climates, almost equal the Horse in magnitude and stature. 

 Spain also possesses some fine races of the Ass, which are also occa- 

 sionally to be found in the southern provinces of France ; as we ad- 

 vance northward, the animal diminishes in size and becomes more and 

 more difficult of preservation.' Opposed to this is the fact, that in 

 Western India, which it will be admitted is sufficiently far to the 

 south, the Asses are not much larger than good- sized Newfound- 

 land dogs. They are used in droves to carry small loads of salt or 

 grain ; they are also used by the pot-makers to carry their clay ; 

 and they are always seen, as in Europe, associated with gipsies." 



