ORDER PERISSODACTYLA : ODD-TOED UNGULATES 363 



Afghan Delimitation Commission of 1884-85 (Aitchison, 1889, 

 pp. 61-62) : 



[On November 30, 1884, herds were seen on the march between Tut-i-chi 

 and Aftao, north of the Paropamisus Range.] They occupied the country 

 in the vicinity of Gulran, as they were known to have attacked and injured 

 some Mules and Donkeys that had been turned loose to graze. . . . 



In my march from Gal-i-cha [south of the Paropamisus Range] to the 

 base of the Kambao Pass, on the 29th of April, 1885, I had to cross the 

 northern end of a great plain called "Gulam-i-maidan," or the plain of the Wild 

 Ass. . . . My guide took me to a slight elevation, and from it pointed 

 out to me where I was to look for the animals: for some time I could see 

 nothing ; at last, whilst using my glasses, I noticed clouds of dust, like the line 

 of smoke left in the track of steamers. . . . These several lines of dust-cloud 

 were caused by herds of Asses, galloping in various directions over the great 

 plain. One herd came well within a mile's distance ; from its extent, I am 

 even now of the opinion which I then held, that the herd consisted of at 

 least 1000 animals. I counted sixteen of these lines of dust-cloud at one 

 time on the horizon. My guide said that at this period of the year the Wild 

 Asses are always united in great herds on that plain, owing to the mothers 

 having their foals at foot, but that in a few weeks the great herds would 

 break up, and the animals would spread themselves all over the country in 

 parties of ten to twelve. This is the season at which the young are caught, 

 by riding them down; usually, the mother will not leave, viciously attacking 

 men and horses upon their coming near her foal. It is a very rare circum- 

 stance to get a foal unless by shooting it. ... 



Between Karez-dasht and Sher-baksh [lat. 33-34 N.], to the south-east of 

 the Do Shakh range, we were informed was a locality for the Wild Ass, 

 also the country between Kushk-rud and Zagin, still further south, but I did 

 not hear of any having been seen by members of the Mission. 



It is undoubtedly too much to hope that Wild Asses abound in 

 such numbers today, as they did half a century ago, in north- 

 western Afghanistan. 



Indian Wild Ass; Baluchi Wild Ass; Ghor-khar. Ane de Hnde 

 (Fr.). Indischer Wildesel (Ger.). 



ASINUS HEMIONUS KHUR (LeSSOn) 



Equus khur Lesson, Manuel Mammalogie, p. 347, 1827. (Based upon "der 

 wilde Esel" of Oken's Isis, 1823, Band 2, Heft 7, p. 764, 1823, inhabiting 

 "die wiiste Strecke Landes, welche Cattuwar von Cuth trennt (bey den 

 Eingebornen Run genannt)." Thus the Little Rann of Cutch, western 

 India, is the type locality.) 



SYNONYMS: Equus indicus George (1869) ; Equus hemionus var. indicus W. L. 

 Sclater (1891). 



FIGS.: Cuvier, Regne Animal, disciples' ed., Mamm., atlas, pi. 83, fig. 1, 

 1836-49; J. E. Gray, Gleanings from Knowsley Menagerie, pi. 53, 1850; 

 Lydekker, 1904, pi. 17 (ssp.?); N. Y. Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 24, no. 1, 

 p. 12, fig., 1921; Schwarz, 1929, figs. 1-4; Jour. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 

 vol. 37, no. 1, suppl., pi. 29, 1934. 



The range limits of this subspecies toward the north and west are 

 uncertain. The Wild Ass of southeastern Persia will be provisionally 



