May 1897. East African Collection of Mammals — Elliot. 139 



INCHES. 



Total length 5 .90 



Anterior edge of nasals to tip of premaxilla i .95 



Length of nasals 88 



Anterior rim of orbit to tip of premaxilla 2.95 



Posterior end of nasals to parietal suture i .85 



Width of skull at anterior edge of orbit 1.85 



Extent of upper premolars 85 



" " molars , i • ^S 



" lower premolars 80 



" " molars 1.20 



Length of premaxilla 2 . 30 



SUB-ORDER PERISSODACTYLA. 

 FAM. EQUID^. 

 Equus asinus somalicus (Sclat). 



Equus asinus somalicus. Wild Ass. Native name Gionburt. 



a. $ ad. Las Durban. 



b. 9 ad. Las Durban. 



c. $ ad. Haili. 



d. $2 yrs. Laferug. 



In certain parts of Guban, notably in the sterile district lying 

 near the coast, about twenty miles east of Berbera, the Wild Ass 

 is not very uncommon. We met with it also in considerable num- 

 bers on the high plateau west of Laferug, and also saw some 

 individuals south of the Golis Range in the vicinity of " Nasr 

 Hablod " the mountains called ' ' Virgin's Breast, " where they were 

 living among the thorn forests with high aloe undergrowth, fre- 

 quented by the Lesser Koodoo. In fact, it was on an occasion 

 when I was engaged tracking one of these antelope that I came 

 suddenly upon a little family of Wild Asses, consisting of a jack, 

 mare and foal. It is a very handsome animal, and although the 

 head is large, it is very well shaped and has none of the heavy 

 appearance so characteristic of the donkey generally. The blue- 

 gray coat, relieved with the white nose and belly, and the striped 

 whitish legs, all combine to present a very handsome animal, and 

 I was most agreeably surprised by the first one we obtained, it 

 had so much more of a game appearance than I had anticipated. 

 The Wild Ass is an exceedingly wary creature, always on the 

 alert, and it is no easy matter to approach within even long shoot- 

 ing distance of a single animal, much less a number of them 

 together. They go usually either alone or in small parties of 

 two or three individuals. The greatest number I ever met with 



