THE PEJEVALSKY HORSE. 5 



described with exactness if they are to possess systematic value. 

 In other words, that such characteristics may be employed in 

 classification, it is necessary, not only to know the absolute size 

 of the ears, but also the proportion which their size bears to that 

 of other parts of the body, and more especially to the size of the 

 head. Only when this is known can we say with certainty that 

 the ears of E. prjevalskii are smaller than those of the ass, or 

 that tliey are remarkably small. On this account I have tried to 

 obtain exact data of the dimensions of individual parts of the body 

 of the Prjevalskj^ horse, and of the Asiatic ass. With this object, 

 I have availed myself of the excellent plan of measurements given 

 by Nathusius * ; as, by it, may be stated a complete and lucid 

 account of the shape of the horse described, and of the character- 

 istics by which its classification is determined. Unfortunately 

 the measurements were beset by certain leclinical difficulties. It 

 would undoubtedly have been best to have taken them from living 

 horses ; but the animals which were at my disposal were so Avild 

 that it was not possible to measure them. In default of living 

 material, I first took measurements of a stuft'ed skin of an adult 

 F. prjevalskii, and of the young stuffed specimen upon which 

 Poliakof's description was based. Subsequently, I measured the 

 fresh body of an animal wdiich had died in the Imperial stables. 

 T have also compared the proportions which certain parts of the 

 body bear to each other by means of photographs of living animals. 

 It seems fair to presume that results so obtained are sufficiently 

 correct. A possible error can only be very slight, since the rela- 

 tive proportions — as, for instance, the length of the head as 

 compared with the length of the body — showed very little difference 

 when the measurements taken from the photographs of living 

 animals were compared with those of the skin. For the sake 

 of brevity, I give an outline drawing (Fig. 2), after Nathusius, in 

 v/hich the various measurements are shown. The drawing is self- 

 explanatory. 



As will be seen from the table hereAvith given, the Prjevalsky 

 liorse is about the same size as a small domestic horse. The 

 adult stallion stands about 124 cm. (48.8 inches) at the croup f ; 

 and the leng-th of his trunk is 127 cm. (49.9 inches). By his 

 general conformation and in the respective proportions of certain 

 parts of the body, lie reminds one very much of the wild ass 



* Simon vou Nathusius. Unterschiede zwischen der inori/eH- und abend- 

 Idndischen P/erdegrwppe am Skchtt und am lehenden P/erc?e.— Inaug. diss. 

 Laugensalza, 1891. 



t According to Grum-Gri-jimailo, the height at tlie croup in a ten-year old 

 animal amounted to about 147 i-'m. 



