PACHYDEEMATA. 



497 



mongrel, but like all other animals, has his family, his rank, and his 

 species. Although his nobility is not quite so illustrious, it is quite as 

 pure and quite as ancient, as that of the horse. Wliy, therefore, is it, 

 that the Ass, so patient, so sober, so useful, is treated with so little 

 consideration ? Is it because he serves mankind too well and too 

 cheaply ? No one ever seems to think, as, stick in hand, he drives 

 the overladen slave along the dusty road, that were there no horses 

 in the world, the Ass would be the most useful, and doubtless the 

 best cared-for, animal in creation. As it is, he is only the second, 

 instead of being the first ; but being second, he is looked upon with 

 contempt. It is by comparison only that he is so degraded ; he is 

 regarded, not in accordance with what he is, but with what he is 

 not : lie has all the attributes belonging to his o-^ti nature, perfect 

 in their kmd ; but we expect in him the form and qualities of the 

 horse, which he does not and ought not to possess. His natural 

 disposition is as humble, as patient, as quiet as that of the horse is 

 proud, ardent, and impetuous. He suffers with constancy, and with 

 courage, the blows which he does not deserve ; he is content with the 

 coarsest herbage ; in everything the wilhng slave of man : his only 

 deficiency is, that he is not a horse. 



The Zebra (Aslnus Zebra), very lilce the Ass in form 'and propor- 

 tions, is at once the most elegant, and the most intractable of animals. 

 His skin has the softness of satin, and is adorned with beautiful 



-kjo .— ___j: >,„i^ 



Fig 424. — zebra. 



ribb:)n-Iike stripes. In the female, these stripes are alternately 

 black and white ; in the male, brown and yellow. The limbs are 

 remarkably slender. These animals are found in the soutliern parts 

 of Africa, and numerous herds are often seen grazing on the exten- 

 sive plains of the Cape of Good Hope. 



