( 590 ) 



The skull of a young male wild ass from Balnchistan presented by Mr. W. T. 

 Blaiiford to the British Mnsenm (No. 91. 5. 13. 1) is, however, considerably larger 

 than the preceding, measuring 17^ in. in basal length, and also differs by its 

 perfectly straight profile. It is in fact practically as large as a kiang's skull, bnt 

 with a much narrower muzzle. There is no depression at the root of the nasals, 

 aud the frouto-nasal suture forms a very open V, with straight borders, and is thus 

 totally dififerent from that of the kiang. 



The difference between the reputed Kutch and the Baluchi skulls is so 

 great that it is difficult to believe it to be due merely to sex ; and the suggestion 

 therefore arises that the two specimens indicate distinct races. One theory would 

 be that the Knowsley animals belonged to the North Persian instead of to the 

 Indian race of the species ; bnt their coloration (both in the plate and, so far 

 as can be determined, in the faded skin in the British Museum) is of the 

 Indian as opjwsed to the North Persian type ; and in this respect these specimens 

 appear to accord with the reputed Meshed ghor-khar. 



Another alternative is that the Baluchi skull indicates a race apart from 

 the Indian one. This latter suiiposition would be a not improbable one were 

 it not that Balnchistan lies in the direct line between Kutch and Meshed, and 

 that the wild ass reputed to be from the latter locality apparently agrees with 

 the Indian race of the species. 



The matter must remain in abeyance until a series of the skulls of wild asses 

 from Kutch and Baluchistan are available for comparison. 



B. THE KOBDO ONAGER. 

 Equus onager castaneus (n. subsp.). 

 (Plate XVIII.) 



Ilab. Said to be Kirghis-Nor, Kobdo, Western Mongolia. 



Characterised by the straight profile of the face, the rufous isabella hue of 

 the summer coat, the full mouse-grey colour of the winter coat, the large amount 

 of pure white on the buttocks, and the distinctness of the pure white band on 

 each side of the dorsal stripe, which extends quite down to the tail-tuft. 



The type of this form is the Asiatic wild ass represented in Plate XVIII., 

 which is a female purchased by the Duke of Bedford from Mr. C. Hagenbeck, 

 and stated by the latter to have come from Kirghis-Nor. One portrait of this 

 animal (in the possession of the Duke of Bedford) was taken in September 1903, 

 when the animal had assumed the long grey winter coat ; bnt the one repro- 

 duced in Plate XVIII., in July 19U4, about the same time as those of the other 

 Asiatic races. The writer is indebted to the Duke of Bedford for the sketch 

 from which the plate is reproduced. 



The broad chocolate-coloured dorsal stripe reaches to the tail-tuft, and 

 is bordered on each side by a wide pure white band, which expands to join a 

 large white bla.ze on the buttocks and the hind-surface of the thighs. The other 

 light areas arc the muzzle, throat, chest, under-parts, aud inner sides and 

 lower portions of the limbs ; the inside of tlie ears being greyish white ; elsewhere 

 the general colour in the winter coat is grey-fawn, with a faint tinge of sandy 

 rufous in places. In the summer coat the dark areas are bright sandy fawn or 



