MASAI, TU11KANA, SUK, NANDI, ETC. 



817 



village -during the daytime, and when half grown usually accompany 

 their mothers to the pasture. 



The Masai frequently possess hods of donkeys, and these are driven 

 in at night within the thorn enclosure, though allowed otherwise to wander 

 about unhampered inside the village. The ass of the Masai is the ordinary 

 wild ass (the origin of our domestic donkey) of North-Eastern Africa 

 (Equus tceniopus); indeed, it is almost impossible to see any difference 

 between the wild ass of Nubia and the Egyptian Sudan and the domestic 



455. MASAI DONKEY: 



ass of the Masai, which lias now become the common domestic ass of 

 Eastern Africa and the Zanzibar coast-line. The African wild ass* is a 

 large beast of a pinkish grey colour, with a whitish muzzle and black nose 

 and lips. The mane is black, and so are the tips and rims of the ears. 

 There is a black stripe all along the hack to the end of the tail, and 

 there is one broad stripe down each shoulder. Occasionally faint black 

 stripes are seen on the legs. This animal is more nearly related to the 

 wild asses of Asia than it is to the zebras of Africa. Its range in a wild 



* The Somaliland form is a distinct species which has no shoulder stripe, but 



on the other hand, is distinctly barred on the legs with black Gripes. 



