ITS NEAKEST EXISTING KELATIONS. 89 



the latter to cross the smallest streamlet — an aver- 

 sion which it shares with the camel — and the evident 

 delight with which it rolls itself in the dust, seem to 

 point to arid deserts as its original home. 



The Domestic Ass is too well known to require 

 description. Although the variations produced by 

 differences of climate, treatment, and breeding are 

 not so great as they are in the horse, they are still 

 considerable, and, if careful selection and improve- 

 ment had been more attended to, would certainly be 

 far greater. As it is, the continued neglect and ill- 

 treatment to which this unfortunate animal has been 

 too often subjected, as being essentially the servant, 

 or, rather, the slave of the poor man all over the 

 world, has led to deterioration both of its physical 

 qualities and character. 



Though gray is the prevailing color of this 

 species, many varieties of that color occur, and in- 

 stances of every shade between it and pure white on 

 the one hand, and dark brown or black on the other, 

 are met with. The dark, vertical stripe on the shoul- 

 der varies much in breadth and intensity of color- 

 ing : sometimes it is double, and not infrequently al- 

 together absent. The median dorsal stripe is usually 

 conspicuous. In size, also, there are great differences, 

 the asses used by the lowest caste people of the north 

 of India being scarcely larger than a Newfoundland 



