40 THE HORSE FAMILY, 



fsuperiority in the size of the front pair; while the tail-tuft is 

 moderate, and there is no trace o£ a fore-lock. The dark dorsal 

 stripe is narrow, and in some cases discontinuous, not reaching the 

 tail-tuft, and being without white borders. Either a shoulder- 

 stripe or dark barrings on the legs, or both together (in the 

 domesticated race), are present, and there is no dark ring above the 

 hoofs. There is a distinct white ring round the eye, but no white 

 on the buttocks or rump. The general colour of the upper-parts is 

 at all seasons pure or tawny grey-fawn ; the muzzle, a ring round each 

 eye, the under surface of the lower jaw, the inside of the ear, the 

 under-parts, and the inner surface and much of the lower portion 

 of the legs, being pure white. Apparently there is no marked (if 

 any) difference, either in colour or length, between the summer 

 and the winter coat. The cry is a bray. 



Tliere are two wild races of the species, namely the Nubian Wild 

 Ass [Equus asinus africanus, M. 1014, fig. 26) inhabiting North- 

 eastern Africa, that is to say Senaar and Nubia; its range formerly 

 extending as far as the fifth cataract of the Nile, and eastwards to 

 the River Atbara and the Daaakil district, but not including 

 Abyssinia. It is half-wild in Socotra. Year by year the range 

 of this race appears to become more and more restricted ; and 

 unless measures be taken for its protection, there is danger that it 

 may be exterminated. The race is characterised by its generally 

 inferior size (ranging from about 3 ft. 9^ in. to 3 ft. 11^ in.) as 

 compared with the Somali race, the generally greyish fawn-colour, 

 the continuous, although very narrow dorsal stripe, the presence 

 of a short shoulder-stripe, and of a dark patch on each side of the 

 front fetlock, and the absence of distinct dark barrings on the 

 legs. 



It is represented in the lower mammal gallery by a male 

 specimen (M. 1014) from Nakheila, on the Atbara River, 

 presented by the Hon. Charles N. Rothschild in 1904, and also 

 by the head of a female from Yalalub^ Eastern Sudan, given by 

 Mr. H. VV. Haig. 



A small breed of Nubian Wild Asses inhabits the island of 

 fSocotra. These Asses, which appear to have been originally 

 imported from the mainland, stand only about 3^ feet at the 

 shoulder. They are characterised by perfect similarity in colour 



