THE ASS AND THE MULE 



159 



where certain bitter herbs grow, — the moun- 

 tain spinach, the goosefoot, the plantain, the 

 dandelion, the thistle, and the witch grass. 

 He drinks salt water as well as fresh, and will 

 drink that of the Caspian Sea, but he will not 

 drink muddy water. This proud inhabitant of 

 the steppes is taller than his domestic descend- 

 ant ; he is active, solidly built, and fears no 

 fatigue. His color is silvery gray, or yellowish 

 gray, with a coffee-colored line down his back 

 edged with white, often crossed on the croup 

 by one and sometimes two transversal lines. 



The young asses, which are fed on rice, oats, 

 and bread, become very strong and beautiful 

 animals, and are sold to the Persian merchants 

 at high prices. It is very difficult to get a 

 shot at these asses ; they are gifted with keen 

 eyes and ver)- cjuick ears. 



The Mongol ass is another type of the wild 

 ass, differing little from the preceding animal. 

 The Tartars and Mongols call him Long Ears 

 in their language, and on account of his great 

 swiftness the Tibetans dedicate him solemnly 

 as a riding steed to their gods of war and fire. 



SiciLi.\N Donkeys 



His mane, several inches long, is dark brown, 

 soft, and woolly, like that of young colts, but 

 his tail has only a tuft. His winter coat is long 

 and fleecy, like that of a camel ; in summer it 

 is soft and silky, being silvery white on the 

 belly. The legs are sometimes marked with 

 transversal brown lines. 



The Kirghiz, Tartars, and Persians hunt 

 this animal and eat his flesh. Taken young, 

 he is easily and frequently tamed. They are 

 taken alive in ditches lined with grass and care- 

 fully covered, into which horsemen drive them. 



H. The Zebr.a 



In shape the zebra resembles the wild ass, 

 except that his rounded hind quarters seem to 

 indicate a relationship with the horse. The 

 fundamental color of his coat is white, the 

 head is almost wholly white, also the lining of 

 the ears, but the nose is a fine brown, and the 

 tip of the tail black. Elsewhere the body of 

 this beautiful animal is striped with dark bands. 

 He lives in herds in the mountainous and sandy 

 regions of South Africa and southern Abyssinia. 

 He is never found above 10° north latitude. 



