']6 On the Onager of the AntieritSf 



female by a fmall flripe over the fhoulders eroding that on 

 the back, which was wanting in the female, the latter having 

 only the ftripe on the back. This croi's is much more com- 

 iHon among the tame alics, and is obfervcd, in particular, on 

 thofe which are of a britrht colour. The Kiroifians fav, that 

 among the wild aflcs the crofs Itripe is found fometimcs 

 double. 



The- onager is much taller and finer limbed than the com- 

 mon afs. The female in my polfeflion was fo narrow in the 

 chefl; and rump, that behind flic had the appearance of a 

 voung filly, as may be feen in the plate. Like young fillies, 

 alfo, flie could fcratch her head and neck with the hind foot, 

 which a full grown horfe cannot do. On the fore-legs flie 

 appeared very \\ cak ; but flie could carry on her back the 

 heaviefi: man, and even run with him. She always held her 

 head ereft, in a more graceful manner than ihe common afs; 

 kept her ears alwavs upright, even during illncfs; and in ail 

 her motions fliowed great agility. 



The head of the onao;er is hitrher and laraer than that of 

 the djhlgget i, and yet I found the IkuU, when cleaned, to 

 be remarkably light. The head is much bent, like that of a 

 ram: the fore-part between the eyes is flat; but above the 

 eve^fockets, which are as llrong as thofe of old horfcs, it is 

 elevated in a flattifh round form. The lips are very thick, 

 and to the very edges clofcly covered witii lliffhair like brif- 

 tlesj which towards the round part of the mouth lie crooked. 

 The noftrils do not form that cxcrelcence-likc elevation which 

 is peculiar to the iI/hJggeti.L The pupil of the eye is yellowifli 

 lirov.n. The ears at tlie ]ipints are quite bla,ck, covered on 

 the infide with curled hiiirs that crois each other, which grow 

 partly on both edges of the car, and partly on three ridges 

 which run along the hollow of the c^r lengthwife. 



The colour on the muzzle and the greater part of the body 

 is a' beautiful white, with a, kind of filvery appearance; but 

 the upptr part of the head, the fides of the neck,' and the 

 rump, are of a pale ifabella colour. This colour does not 

 extend along the fore-thighs; it however covers the haunches; 

 although oti the fides of the belly a white fpacc, of al)out a 

 hand breadth, feparates tl^e colour of the bellv from that of 

 the thighs: a white band, alfo, ruuij along each fide of the. 

 ilripe on the back, and unites ilfelf to the white part of the 

 lower belly. 'Oppian has expreficd very accurately this white 

 fcparation, in his poetical defcription of the onager. The 

 mane, which is blackiflt brown, begins between the ears and 

 exiLtids to the fliouldcrs ; it coufifis of foft woolly hair from 

 jihxee; to four" inches in length, and flands ereft exad^y as la 

 ■ newly ^ 



