35 



do not know whether it is bred in confinement and trulj' 

 domestic, although it is much more of a tame pet than the 

 ferret. An allied species, the Ichneumon, is also tamed in 

 Egypt. 



The truly domestic carnivora are but 3, and semi- 

 domesticated but 4 more, out of 373 known species. 



I now pass on to the herbivorous animals. 



The Horse has nearly all the qualities of a domestic 

 animal in perfection, it is fertile, has a plastic constitution, 

 is eminently useful, is gentle, and is sufficiently attached to 

 locality that it may be allowed to run on commons and in 

 forests without straying away, as a rule. 



In all these respects the Ass resembles the horse 

 with the advantage of much greater sure-footedne .s, 

 enabling it to be used in mountainous districts, the 

 origin of the horse is uncertain, but the ass is clearly de- 

 rived from Asinus tcBuiopus, a species still found wild ii 

 Abyssinia; there is a closely allied wild species, Asinus 

 Somalicus, found wild in Somali Land, which differs in 

 having the legs more striped than in A tcEuiopus, and does 

 not possess the cross on the shoulder. 



The wild Equine, nearest to the horse, is Equus 

 Przvalskii, inhabiting the Dsungarian Desert, between the 

 Altai and Thianschan Mountains, this animal has warts on 

 the hind legs like the horse, and in this respect is unlike 

 any other wild Equus, but it has an erect mane, and no 

 bunch of hairs falling over the forehead, its ears are short, 

 it is just probable that it may be the wild origin of the 

 horse, but it is doubtful. 



There are six other equine animals, three species of wild 

 ass, and three species of zebra at least, but they are 

 almost untameable, and further their fertility in captivity is 

 nearly lost, their domestication is therefore barred. 



There are not more than 10 species of Equidae, and two 

 of these truly domestic form a large per centage. 



The Bovine, including the Ox, Buffalo, Sheep and 

 Goat, is a far more numerous family than the Equine, about 



