54 THE EXISTING EQUIDAE [CH. 



greyer colour, smaller hoofs, and possibly in a greater length of 

 ear, the two southern forms present an approximation to the 

 true wild asses of Africa, which is quite what we might expect 

 from their geographical distribution. In colour, and perhaps 

 also in length of ear, as well as in their cry, the chigetai and 

 the kiang are more horse-like." 



(9) The African Wild Ass (E. asinus, Linn., taeniopus, 

 Heuglin), which is held to be the source of our domestic ass, 

 still survives in Abyssinia, Nubia, and other parts of North-east 

 Africa lying east of the Nile. The term taeniopus has been 

 applied to it from the fact that in some of the species the lower 

 limbs show dark markings (Fig. 26). Generally speaking it 

 resembles the domestic ass in colour and markings. It differs 

 from the Asiatic species by being of a grey colour instead of 

 rufous-brown or yellow, by having a very distinct shoulder 

 stripe reaching from the withers to the top of the fore-leg, 

 but varying in extent in different specimens (Figs. 24, 25), 

 by having longer ears, and by much more frequently having 

 dark marks upon its lower limbs. 



(10) The Somali Wild Ass 1 (E. somaliensis, Noack) 

 differs from the ordinary wild ass by being more grey in colour, 

 by the entire absence of the cross stripe over the shoulders, in 

 the very slight indications of the dorsal line, and especially by 

 the numerous black markings on both fore and hind legs, by 

 smaller ears and by a longer mane (Figs. 26, 27). One shot by 

 Mr Lort Phillips near Berberah stood fully 14 hands high*. 

 But it is questionable whether the Somali ass is to be regarded 

 as more than a local variation, for one shot about fifty miles 

 from Berberah by Mr Inverarity 3 differed from the type speci- 

 men " in having slight shoulder-stripes, as well as a dorsal 

 stripe. The general colour of the skin was also not of so 

 grey a tint. All the four feet were banded as in the earlier 

 specimens." 



1 Sclater, Proc. Zool Soc. 1884, p. 542, PL L. ; Tegetmeier and Sutherland, 

 Horses, etc. p. 19. 



2 It must be remembered that measurements made after death may be 

 misleading. 



3 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1892, p. 195. 



