318 THE DJIGGETAI. 



front, narrow, the nostrils placed low down the 

 muzzle, the neck slender, shoulder rather vertical, 

 the withers higher than in the ass, the body and 

 haunches like a mule's, the tail asinine, and the ears 

 very erect : the fore-top, like in the Equus liippagrus^ 

 forms a tuft of downy hair ; the mane is erect, short, 

 and dark ; from thence a line of similar colour ex- 

 tends along the spine to the terminal tuft of the 

 tail, and it is asserted to have occasionally an eva^ 

 nescent cross streak on the shoulder ; the fur of the 

 coat, in winter rather long and hoary, is in summer 

 smooth, with a variety of featherings or whorls in 

 the direction of the hair; silvery on the nose, and 

 light Isabella, varying to bright bay, on the head, 

 neck, flanks, and thighs, covering more surface in 

 southern specimens than in those of the north, 

 where silvery grey and white run along the ridge 

 of the back and occupy the belly, passing up the 

 flank, behind the arm, and under the throat, while 

 the same colour edges the quarters : the legs are 

 white, with the usual callosities on the inner arms, 

 and the hoofs asinine. 



The species extends to the north into Southern 

 Siberia, spreads over the deserts of Gobi, frequents 

 the salt marshes of Tahtary, is abundant in Thibet, 

 in the Himalayas, and is not unknown in India, 

 unless there is again a confusion between this and 

 the Asinus equuleus. From the testimonies of Hero- 

 dotus, it appears that his Hemionus, which we think 

 is justly taken to be identical with the Djiggetai, 

 was found at that time in Syria ; and Theophrastus, 



