EQUUS ONAGER. 239 



is of course erroneous, and simply arose from the fact of the testes being 

 drawn up close to the abdomen. 



The voice of the ghorkhur, according to Blyth, who heard it in some indi- 

 viduals taken to Calcutta by Colonel Tytler, is "a shrieking bray," and was 

 considered by Colonel Tytler to resemble exceediogly the cry of the mule. 



Equus hemippus, Is. Geoffrey, inhabits the countries to the west of 

 E. onager, viz., Syria, Mesopotamia, North Arabia, &c., and is the wild ass 

 of our version of the Scriptures. Mr. Sclater remarks that it can barely 

 be distinguished from E. onager, but Blyth considers them distinct. He 

 says that the ghorkhur differs from hemippus in the latter having a smaller 

 head and shorter ears. The voice of this species is said by Blyth to be 

 much more like the bray of the common ass than that of E. onager ; and 

 St. Hilaire also notices the difference of voice of the two animals. This 

 wild ass of Western Asia is considered by Blyth to have been iheHemionus 

 of the ancients, and their Onager, the veritable wild E. asinus, which is 

 found in north-east Africa and southern Arabia ; so that the specific names 

 given by Pallas are unfortunately applied. To this last species, Dr. 

 Sclater applies the name Asinus tceniopus, Heuglin. 



The kiang or dzightai of Tibet and Central Asia, Equus hemionus, 

 Pallas, is met with across the snowy Himalayas in Ladak and other parts, 

 and has frequently been killed by sportsmen. It is much darker in hue 

 than the ghorkhur, the upper parts being of a dull ruddy-brown or chest- 

 nut-rufous hue, approaching to bay, especially on the head, and distinctly 

 darker on the flanks, where it abruptly contrasts with the white of the 

 belly. Cunningham calls it the wild horse, and says that it neighs, and 

 does not bray ; and others assert the same, or that the voice of the kiang is 

 " as much like neighing as braying." On the other hand, Moorcroft, Col. 

 Strachey, and many sportsmen say that his cry is more like braying 

 than neighing. The evidence of Colonel Strachey, an accomplished and 

 scientific traveller, is valuable on this point. He says, " My impression as 

 to the voice of the kiang is that it is a shrieking bray, not like that of 

 the common ass, but still a real bray, and not a neigh." Again : " The 

 kiang, so far as external aspect is concerned, is obviously an ass and not 

 a horse." How any one can call it a wild horse after looking at its tail 

 I cannot understand (though Colonel Chesney even calls the liemippus 

 the wild horse) ; but I can imagine that its darker colour, shorter ears, 

 and large size, compared with the ordinary domestic ass, may give this 

 animal, at a distance, something of the aspect of a horse. 



