THE ASS 285 



The animal is remarkable for its wariness, fleetness, and 

 its ability to keep up a great pace even over very broken 

 ground. The Persian method of capturing the Koulan, as 

 they call the Wild Ass, is to lie in wait for the animal at a 

 drinking-pool, and then to chase it on specially fast horses. 

 Out in the open plains the Ass can only be taken by means 

 of relays of horses and fleet dogs of the greyhound type. 

 Even when captured it is by no means certain that a Wild 

 Ass can be broken in to render useful service, for frequently 

 it remains absolutely vicious and intractable, in which 

 respect it offers great contrast to the wild horse under 

 similar conditions. 



The African Wild Ass is typified in the variety which 

 inhabits Egypt and Abyssinia. It is principally bluish- 

 grey in colour, but the ears are longer, the mane shorter, 

 and the tail less haired than in the Asiatic species. 'The 

 animal in its native desert,' says Sir Samuel Baker, ' is the 

 perfection of activity and courage ; there is a high-bred 

 tone in the deportment, a high-actioned step when it trots 

 freely over the rocks and sand, with the speed of a horse. 

 When it gallops freely over the boundless desert, no animal 

 is more difficult to approach, and, although they are fre- 

 quently captured by the Arabs, those taken are invariably 

 the foals, which are ridden down by fast dromedaries, 

 while the mothers escape.' 



In the regions which it inhabits the flesh of the Wild 

 Ass is held in considerable esteem, the Tartars and the 

 Persians preferring it to almost any other meat. The skin 

 is highly valued, and is made into the celebrated shagreen, 

 which is dear not only on account of the scarcity of ass 

 hides, but because of the slow and intricate method of 

 preparation. 



DOMESTIC ASS (Equus asinus). 

 Coloured Plate XVII. Fig. 2. 



There appears to be little doubt that the domestic Ass is 

 the African species in a tame state. The Valley of the 

 Nile was the scene of its earliest domestication, from which 



