( 592 ) 



Characterised by the iiredominauce of the white over the fiiwn-colonred areas 

 ou the body aad head, aud the markedly siuuous profile of the latter. 



The Persian onager would appear to be the race of the present species 

 most specially adapted for a purely desert existence, so far as coloration is 

 concerned. 



The identification of the nnder-mentioned specimens with this race (and 

 conseqnently the distinctive characteristics of the race itself) depends, in the 

 first place, whether the example fignred by Colonel Hamilton-Smith really came 

 from North Persia ; and, secondly, whether the one described by Dr. Matschie was 

 lil;ewise a native of that district. 



Dr. Matschie's description of a yonng male referred to this race living in 

 the Berlin Ziwlogical Gardens in 1883, is as follows : — 



"The head is relatively high, with a convex ram-like profile to the face, 

 and the ears comparatively small. At the termination of the sharp and upright 

 uiaiie commences a broad dark dorsal stripe, becoming narrower and less well 

 defined at the withers, but expanding at the loins, and on the rnmp diminishing 

 to a narrow line, which disappears some distance above the tail-tuft. This 

 dor.<al stripe is bordered by a broad silvery white baud on each side. Root of 

 tail, hinder edge of hips, a broad area above the flanks and likewise the shoulder, 

 the under-parts, legs, the throat, and the muzzle, silvery white. Upper part of 

 head, sides of the neck, a small ill-defined oblique band in front of the shoulder, 

 a larger quadrangular patch on the sides of the body, the middle of the hips, 

 and the upper parts of the limbs, pale isabella-colour." 



Briefly summarising this description, the same author gives the leading 

 features of this race as follows : — 



" Colour silvery white ; the dorsal stripe not reaching the tail-tuft ; head, sides 

 of neck, a small, ill-defined band in front of the shoulder, a larger quadrangular 

 patch on the sides of the body, middle of the hip, and upper part of the 

 limbs isabella-colour." 



Allowing for the circumstance that the colour has been printed too low 

 down, so as to render the belly and throat fawn-coloured, and the back and 

 upper part of the neck white, this description accords very well with the figure 

 of the onager (country not stated) given in plate xviii. of Col. Hamilton- 

 Smith's volume on Horses in Jardine's " Naturalist's Library." 



If these identifications be correct, the present race is the lightest in colour 

 of all the Asiatic wild asses, the fawn-coloured area being reduced to large 

 isolated patches. 



A pair of wild Asiatic asses received in exchange by the London Zoological 

 Society in 1892, and still living in the menagerie in the Regent's Park, agree in 

 all essential respects with the preceding descriptions. Both show the remarkable 

 contour of the profile of the face, in which the forehead is swollen and 

 convex, while the nasal region is concave. In both the greater part of the hea<l 

 is white, and the white areas on the body predominate over the fawn-coloured, 

 which in the summer coat is pale sandy. This predominance of the pure silvery 

 white areas is, however, somewhat more marked in the female (Plate XIX.) tlian 

 in the male. 



Both specimens are clearly referable to the same race as the one figured by 

 Col. Hamilton-Smith and the young example described by Dr. Matschie. There 

 appears to be no record of their place of origin. 



