350 UNGULATES, OR HOOFED QUADRUPEDS 



of truly distinct species, but there are probably three Asiatic and 

 two African. Of the former, the best known is the Onager (Equus 

 onager), which is found in Cutch, the Punjab, and Persia. It is 

 very swift and surefooted, and is of a uniform yellowish sand colour, 

 with a dark stripe along the middle of the back. According to 

 Tegetmeier, instead of its being the absolutely untamable animal 

 some writers would have us suppose, it occasionally " becomes so 

 tame as to be troublesome." The Kiang is confined to the high 

 tablelands of Tibet at an elevation of 15,000 feet and upwards. 

 It is a large animal, measuring about fourteen hands in height, 

 and is exceedingly swift and wary. The African Asses are inter- 

 esting as approaching to the zebra type in having tracings of 

 stripings. Of the two species, the least known is the Nubian Ass 

 (Equus africamts), which is probably the parent of the domestic 

 donkey. It has a stripe down the back, and another across the 

 shoulder ; the tail is covered with short hairs, the lower part 

 terminating in a long hairy tuft. Dr. Sclater describes three species 

 of Zebra (i) the true Zebra, which is black and white, inhabits 

 the hilly districts of southern Africa, and is by far the most con- 

 spicuous and handsomest of the Ass tribe ; (2) Burchell's Zebra, 

 which is black and yellow, and inhabits the plains of southern 

 Africa ; and (3) the Quagga, less attractively coloured, and which 

 is now totally extinct. 



Sir Cornwallis Harris gives the following description of the 

 Quagga : " The geographical range of the quagga does not appear 

 to extend to the northward of the river Vaal. The animal was 

 formerly extremely common within the colony ; but, vanishing 

 before the strides of civilisation, is now to be found in very limited 

 numbers and on the borders only. Beyond, on those sultry plains 

 which are completely taken possession of by wild beasts, and may 

 with strict propriety be termed the domains of savage nature, it 

 occurs in interminable herds ; and, although never intermixing 

 with its more elegant congeners, it is almost invariably to be found 

 ranging with the white-tailed gnu and with the ostrich, for the 

 society of which bird especially it evinces the most singular pre- 

 dilection. Moving slowly across the profile of the ocean-like 

 horizon, uttering a shrill, barking neigh, of which its name forms 

 a correct imitation, long files of quaggas continually remind the 

 early traveller of a rival caravan on its march. Bands of many 



