THE ASS AND MULE. 675 



harmonize with the fact that all its ancestors, tame and wild, 

 with its kinsmen, the quagga and zebra, have like markings. 



The usual color of the ass is gray, mouse-color, or black; 

 but bays, duns, and chestnuts have been found. The dental 

 system of the ass is similar to that of the horse, and his age 

 can be recognized by the growth of the teeth. 



At two years, the male ass is capable of propagating his 

 kind. The female breeds even younger. The potency of 

 the ass is remarkable, which, on the laws of breeding recog- 

 nized, may explain the fact that the offspring of the ass and 

 mare is, in organization, temper, style, appearance, and qual- 

 ity, more like the eyiius axinus than the cquus caballux. The mule 

 is an ass modified by the horse, rather than a horse modified 

 by the ass. 



The ass and his progeny, the mule, are capable, under kind 

 treatment, of great improvement in form, style, size, and quality. 

 He has no equal in patience and power to endure labor and hard- 

 ship. He has qualities which will well repay all efforts to im- 

 prove by careful selection and judicious, liberal keep. In Spain, 

 Italy, and Malta, the ass has been more carefully bred, and there 

 are found the largest and best formed of the race. They are 

 susceptible to improvement, and can be bred for the draft or 

 saddle. Darwin states that in Syria there are four distinct 

 breeds : "A light and graceful animal, with agreeable gait, used 

 by ladies; an Arab breed, reserved exclusively for the saddle; 

 a stouter animal, used for plowing and various purposes, and the 

 large Damascus breed, with peculiarly long body and ears." 



In the blue-grass regions of Kentucky, Illinois, and Mis- 

 souri, where mule breeding has been pursued for years, asses 

 have been bred for size and strength, until in this congenial 

 climate and on liberal feed they are found to grow to be sixteen 

 hands high, although sired by Spanish jacks that were not over 

 fourteen hands high. We know of no better illustration in all 

 the range of improved animals to show what can be done by 

 the intelligent breeder of live-stock who will select and feed for 

 a given end. The Poitou ass is another illustration of what 

 liberality of feed, adaptability of soil and climate, coupled with 



