184 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



animals of Syria and Palestine, the fourth race 

 (E. o. hemippus), the wild ass of Scripture, cannot 

 yet be properly described. It inhabits the deserts 

 between Bagdad and Palmyra, Mesopotamia, and 

 Northern Arabia. Nearly related to the last, it 

 appears to be reddish isabelline above, with the 

 throat, under-parts, and a band on each side of the 

 dorsal stripe silvery white, the dorsal stripe not 

 reaching the root of the tail, which is moderately 

 haired, and the profile of the skull sinuous. 



The extremely light colour of the Persian race 

 appears to be an adaptation to a purely desert 

 existence, being paralleled in Africa by the mohr 

 gazelle and the white oryx of the Sahara. Other 

 adaptations to surroundings are shown by the thick- 

 ness and length of the winter coat of the reputed 

 Kobdo race, which is evidently an inhabitant of a 

 country with a cold winter, as compared with that 

 of the Indian race, which is quite short. 



Like all large desert herbivorous animals, the 

 ghor-khar is famed for its speed ; this being so 

 great that adults in good condition can neither be 

 ridden down (unless, perchance by relays of horse- 

 men) nor taken with greyhounds. Baluchis are 

 indeed stated to have accomplished the former feat, 

 but this was probably only when mares heavy in 

 foal were the objects of pursuit. On the other 

 hand, ghor-khar foals are commonly captured in 

 summer in the Bikanir desert by parties of , mounted 



