WILD ASSES. 193 



But when noosed, they are thrown down, and 

 secured with ropes; and thus they continue, till, 

 exhausted with struggling, they allow themselves to 

 be fastened to one of their tame brethren, and con- 

 ducted home. Yet even this is attended with dan- 

 ger, as, when apparently subdued, they will often 

 suddenly spring up and seriously injure the person 

 who endeavours to control them. But if once con- 

 strained to bear a load, even the most active and 

 ferocious lays aside his love of liberty and indepen- 

 dence. It seems as if the being loaded subdued at 

 once his spirit, and he soon assumes the quiet and 

 plodding look which distinguishes his tribe. No 

 longer a ranger through the desert, snuffing the 

 fresh air in his joyous course, himself as free and 

 uncontrolled, he quietly goes along the road, and 

 obeys without a murmur the commands even of 

 childhood and old age. 



Wild asses, when ranging in their native deserts, 

 will not permit a horse to feed among them. Should 

 one happen to stray into the places where they pas- 

 ture, they fall upon him before he has time to 

 escape, and soon destroy him. 



Few persons like to live in their vicinity, for the 

 noise which they make is terrible. If one begins to 

 bray, another answers, and presently the whole bro- 

 therhood unite in chorus. The echoes are then 

 awakened, and no language can adequately describe 

 the tremendous clamour which ensues. 



The Guanaco ( C. huancus) of the Andes, and 

 the Paco or Alpaca, covered with long, soft, woolly, 

 delicate, and elastic hair, approaching that of the 

 Angora goat, are aboriginal throughout a wide 



