24 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



for maintaining Horses, the chief advantages of the Ass and Mule being their 

 ability to work hard with poor food and little attention. 



THE KIANG 



{Equus hemionus) 



THE Kiang of Tibet is the most Horse-like of the relatives of the true Horse. 

 It equals a small Horse in size, and has a more Horse-like head and shorter 

 ears than any of the other Ass-like species, while the tail is not so closely haired 

 at the base. Indeed, some writers speak of the animal as a wild Horse. It has 

 not, however, the "chestnuts" on the hind-legs, and on the whole is more Ass 

 than Horse. In colour it is chestnut, with the muzzle, legs, and under-parts 

 white, and a dark streak down the back continuous with the chocolate-coloured 

 mane. Inhabiting the cold Tibetan plateau, it grows a thick woolly coat in 

 winter. Sportsmen rather dislike this beast, as they do not want to shoot Donkeys, 

 and the inquisitive Kiang will insist on interfering with their stalking by galloping 

 noisily about and disturbing the game. 



The Chigetai of Mongolia is apparently only a local race, allied to this 

 animal, but the Onager (E. hemionus onager), which ranges from Arabia to North- 

 West India, where it is called the Ghorhkur, is by some naturalists regarded as 

 distinct : at any rate, it is more Donkey-like than the Kiang, being smaller, with 

 longer ears, and lighter in colour. All these Asiatic wild Asses are very swift, 

 and have never been domesticated, though specimens of all have been exhibited 

 in Europe at our Zoological Gardens. 



THE WILD HORSE 



(Equus caballus prezevalskii) 



IT is now pretty generally agreed that the wild form of our Horses is the 

 so-called Prezevalsky's Horse of Mongolia, which is a wild Pony, heavy-headed, 

 hog-maned, and switch-tailed, with a colour often seen in heavy working Horses 

 here, a yellowish or reddish brown on the body, with the muzzle, backs of the 

 legs, and belly shading to white, and the mane, long hair of the tail, and fronts 

 of the legs black. Specimens of this animal have been brought to England of 

 recent years, and the Duke of Bedford has a herd at Woburn Abbey. The 

 wild Horses found in America and Australia are not natives of those countries, 

 but are the descendants of tame Horses which have gained their liberty since 

 the days of European colonisation. 



