46 THE EXISTING EQUIDAE [CH. 



in being larger, exceeding 13 hands, and by the narrowness 

 of its dorsal stripe compared with that of the latter animal. 

 Its hind-quarters are much more developed in length and 

 strength. In colour it is rufous-bay, whilst its voice is said 

 to differ from the strident bray of the onager. 



(6, 7, 8) The Onager {E. onager), the Onager In- 

 dicus, and the Hemippus {E. onager hemippus) differ so 

 slightly in habit ^ that they may be described together. These 

 animals are found on all the great plains of Asia, Chinese 

 Tartary, Tibet, the Panjab, Afghanistan, Western India, Balu- 

 chistan, Persia, and Syria, It is called koulaii by the Kirghis, 

 ghuran or ghur by the Baiuchis, ghor-khur in Hindi, gliour or 

 kherdecht in Persian, in all of which a common element may 

 be recognized. Zoologists now discriminate between E. onager 

 indicus (which is found in North-western India and Baluchistan), 

 E. onager (found in Persia and Turkestan), and E. onager 

 hemippus (found in Syria), whilst it seems probable that the 

 onager of Turkestan'- differs in some respects from that of Persia. 

 The onager indicus is not so dark in colour as the kiang, 

 whilst the typical onager (Fig. 22) "is very white, and in 

 fact might be described as a white animal with a yellowish 

 blotch on the side, another on the neck, and some yellow on 

 the head^" 



They are usually found in herds of from four to forty, and 

 in spring the mares and foals sometimes congregate in still 

 larger numbers. The ears (Fig. 22) are large, the hair of the 

 tail is short at the base, but grows gradually longer towards 

 the end, which is of a black colour, whilst the mane is erect. 

 The dorsal stripe is dark brown, sometimes with a white 

 edging, and varying in breadth, but normally broader than 

 that of the kiang. Some specimens show a cross stripe 

 on the shoulder, and sometimes the legs show faint rufous 

 bars. It varies in height from 11 to 12 hands. It has been 

 supposed to outstrip in speed the fleetest horses, a notion 



1 Blandford, Indian Mammalia, p. 470. 



- According to Pallas (vii. 92), the koulan of Upper Asia is brownish-yellow 

 with brown dorsal stripe and two bars on legs. 



^ I am indebted for this accurate information to Mr E. I. Pocock, F.Z.S., 

 Superintendent of the Zoological Garden, Regent's Park. 



