The Malay Tapir 



London Zoological Society. The majority, however, 

 survived but a short period, at least two of them dying 

 within a year of their acquisition. 



THE KIANG, OR TIBETAN WILD ASS 



[Equus hemionus kiang) 



Native Name. — Kiang, Tibetan 



(Plate i, fig. 6) 



Although the designation wild ass is commonly 

 applied to the Asiatic members of the horse family, 

 locally known by the names of chigetai, kiang, onager, 

 and ghor-khar, these animals are really more nearly 

 allied to the horse, especially the wild Mongolian 

 Equus cabalius przewalskii^ and differ very markedly 

 from the true wild asses of North Africa. In common 

 with the latter they have short, upright manes, and no 

 warts, or callosities, on the hind-legs ; but the dark 

 marking on the upper-parts is restricted to a stripe 

 down the back. 



The chigetai (Equus heynionus) of Mongolia and 

 Turkestan is the typical representative of a species 

 which includes the kiang as a local race, and whose 

 rano;e extends northwards to Transbaikalia and west- 

 wards to Transcaspia. The species, inclusive of both 

 the chigetai and the kiang, may be characterised as 

 follows : — 



Size large, the height at the shoulder reaching to 

 4 feet 3 inches. Ears (in comparison with those of 

 the African wild ass, E. asinus) relatively small and 

 horse-like. Hoofs large and broad, the width of the 

 front pair markedly exceeding that of the hind ones. 

 Tail-tuft large, and a slight rudiment of a forelock 

 present. Dark dorsal stripe relatively narrow, reaching 



43 



