( 591 ) 



rnfons Isabella, witli pure white rnmp-patch, muzzle, aud under-parts ; the sides 

 of the face and throat, as well as the outer sides of the lower parts of the 

 legs, being pale isabella, as is an indistinct line running np the flank in front 

 of the thigh. 



In no other onager with a uniform body-colour that I have seen is 

 there such a large, pure white rump-patch, although there is an approach to 

 this in one of the two specimens figured in the " Knowsley Menagerie." The 

 continuation of the dorsal stripe down the tail seems also to be peculiar ; while 

 the full grey of the winter coat is noticeable. From the specimen here referred 

 to E. 0. indicus, the present animal is distinguished by the pure white light 

 areas and the large size of the rump-patch. The latter character, together with 

 the extension of the dorsal stripe to the tail-tnft, the small size of the light 

 area on the flanks, the larger amount of whity-brown on the sides of the face, 

 and the straight i)rofile, distinguish it from the description of E. o. hemippas. 

 I am therefore inclined to regard this animal as representing a distinct race. 

 Lack of specimens precludes, however, anything like certainty iu this determination. 

 If the locality be correct, it largely extends the range of the species. 



C. THE SYRIAN ONAGER. 

 Equus onager hemippus. 



Eq^ims liem'nipiis, E. Geoffroy, C. E. Ac. Paris, Vol. xli. pp. 1214 and 1220 (1885) ; Matschie, 

 S.B. Ges. iialiafoi: Berlin, 1893. p. 208. 



Ilab. Syria (deserts between Bagdad and Palmyra), Mesopotamia, and 

 North Arabia. 



Dr. Matschie deseribes this race — seemingly iu the summer coat— as 

 follows : — 



" Colour of upper-parts reddish isabelline ; the dorsal stripe not reaching 

 the root of the tail, the tip of which is moderately haired ; neck aud outer side 

 of limbs Isabella-coloured ; throat, uuder-parts, a broad band on each side of the 

 dorsal stripe, hind border of thigh aud au oblicjue band above the flanks silver- 

 white. Ears [and (?) head] relatively small." 



The skull of a Syrian wild ass in the British Museum (No. 67. 12. 3. 1) 

 is characterised by its very small size (basal length 14 J in.), aud the markedly 

 sinuous outline of the profile, which would thus ajipear to be very similar to that 

 of the true onager. The present race would accordingly appear to be characterised 

 by its small size, coupled with the sinuous profile of the face and the predominance 

 of the fawn over the white areas on the body. 



D. THE PERSIAN ONAGER. 

 Equus onager onager. 



Equus oiiafjer, Pallas, Ai-ta Ace. Petrop. mi. p. 2.^4, pi. xi. ; Matschie, S.B. Ges. imlurfor. 



Berlin, WSA. p. 2U8 

 .\siims nmir/rr, Hamilton-Smith " Naturalist's Library," Eijaidir, pi. xviii. (1841). 



(Plate XIX.) 



Ilab. Northern Persia ; Pallas's type locality being Kasvin, in the north-west, 

 near the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. 



38 



