182 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



and white stripes. The same autliority, after referring to the similarity of the 

 name in different Linguages of the true mule, produced by the jack crossed upon 

 the mare, tells us that " the mule has considerably more resemblance to the 

 horse than to the ass, and often, in the south of Europe, is a very fine animal 

 of from fifteen to seventeen hands high. Its head has generally a clumsy form 

 and a heavy appearance, and is the most exceptional part of the whole system." 



These animals are considered by naturalists to be distinct, but nearly allied, 

 species. According to the latest authorities they are members of two generat 

 though fonnerly the horse and the ass were both included under one. The 

 ecientifijc name of the horse is Equus cahallus ; of the donkey, Asinus vulgaris; 

 and the zebra, or quagga, is called Asinus zehra by Baird. In every country 

 the mule is sure-footed and hardy. In Spain it has the finest form and ap- 

 pearance ; in Savoy it has a remarkably large size ; in Egypt it is about equal 

 in value to a medium horse ; and in the mountain regions of large portions of 

 both Europe and South America it is far more serviceable than the horse could 

 be, and completely supersedes it. 



The mide is everywhere hardier than the horse, subject to fewer diseases, 

 more patient, better adapted to travelling on rugged and trackless surfaces, less 

 fastidious as to its food, and much less expensive in feeding, more muscular in 

 proportion to its weight, and usually living and working to about double the 

 age. A troop of mules, freighted with their burdens and travelling among the 

 passes of the Andes, is said to be a very picturesque sight. If the camels are 

 styled "ships of the desert" when traversing those trackless plains, the pack- 

 mules are equally important in the narrow defiles, and on the rocky ledges of 

 the elevated mountain regions of the Avorld. Darwin, speaking of the mules in 

 South America, says, "Each animal carries on a level road a cargo weighing 

 four hundred and sixteen pounds, but in a mountainous country one hundred 

 pounds less; yet with what delicate slim limbs, without any proportionate bulk 

 of muscle, these animals support so great a burden ! The mule always appears 

 to me a most surprising creature. That a hybrid should possess more intelli- 

 gence, memory, obstinacy, social affection, and power of muscular endurance 

 than either of its parents, seems to indicate that art has outmastered nature." 

 The same authority informs us that " an old steady mare, with a little bell 

 around her neck, acts as a madrina or god-mother to the troop upon their jour- 

 neys, and wheresoever she goes, the mules, like good children, follow her. If 

 several large troops are turned into one field to graze for the night, in tlie 

 morning the muleteer has only to lead his madrina a little apart and tinkle her 

 bell, and although there may be 200 or 500 mules together, each immediately 

 knows its own bell, and separates itself from the rest to join its own troop." 



" The affection of these creatures for their madrina saves infinite trouble. It is 

 nearly impossible to lose an old mule, for, if detached for several hours by 

 force, she will track out her companions, or rather the madrina. It is now a 

 ■well-.cstablishcd fact that these creatures will follow any animal that wears the 

 bell, and drovers take advantage of this trait in their character in moving them 

 from place to place, as is well known to every one who has had anything to do 

 ■with their use." Though so wonderfully adapted as pack beasts for the trans- 

 portation of merchandise over difficult roads, in precipitous mountain passes that 

 are impracticable for horses, these valuable animals are also admirably suited to 

 other Uf^es to which they have been applied. In southern countries particularly 

 they are used for light transportation almost exclusively, and even the grandees 

 use them for their can-iages as well as under the saddle. In our own country 

 the prejudice that once existed against them is rapidly yielding, and we find 

 them u.~ed in the street cars in some of our cities, and occasionally observe them 

 attached to elegant private carriages. In many parts of the country they are 

 used for heavy draught ; for this purpose they have long been employed in 

 some of the iron regions, which are often hilly, and even mountainous, and 



