c THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



much employed in ascending mountains in North Wales, 

 and other mountainous districts. The author has been 

 carried by one of these humble animals along narrow 

 ledges of rocks, where there has scarcely been breadth 

 enough for the donkey to move one foot in front of the 

 other, and, by allowing him to take his own course, has 

 reached the end of the journey in perfect safety. 



The Ass is also much used by the poorer classes as a 

 beast of burden, owing to the small cost of his food, for 

 he will eat almost any sort of garbage ; but he is very 

 particular as to the cleanliness of the water he drinks. 



The Zebra is a native of Southern Africa. His elegant 

 form, and the ribbon-like stripes on his beautiful soft skin, 

 make him one of the handsomest of animals ; but he 

 is so very fierce and untractablc, that he has not been 

 domesticated. 



The Quagga is nearly allied to the Zebra, but is 

 neither so large nor so handsome ; its stripes only extend- 

 ing to the neck and shoulders. 



The Dzigguetai is a species of wild ass, which is found 

 in Mesopotamia, Persia, on the shores of the Indus, and 

 in the Punjab. It is so wonderfully swift of foot that even 

 the swiftest Arabian horse cannot overtake it ; and hunt- 

 ing it is a favourite sport in Persia and in India. The 

 Dzigguetai is not hunted for pleasure, but only for its 

 flesh, which is deemed a great dainty. Its pursuers drive 

 it towards rocky ground, and kill it with rifle bullets. 



BUMINANTS. 



RUMINATING animals arc such as (i) bring up the food 

 which they have previously swallowed, in order to properly 

 masticate it, a process which is termed "chewing the 

 cud." (2) Have two toes, covered with separate hoofs, on 

 each foot ; and as these grow so close together, the foot 



