Chap. II. ASSES : THEIR COLOUES AND STRIPES. 65 



the probability of the descent of all the existing races from a 

 single, dun-coloured, more or less striped, primitive stock, to 

 which our horses occasionally revert. 



The Ass. 



Four species of Asses, besides three zebras, have been de- 

 scribed by naturalists. There is now little doubt that our 

 domesticated animal is descended from the Equus toiniojms of 

 Abyssinia.'*^ The ass is sometimes advanced as an instance 

 of an animal domesticated, as we know by the Old Testament, 

 from an ancient period, which has varied only in a very slight 

 degree. But this is by no means strictly true ; for in Syria 

 alone there are four breeds;'** first, a light and graceful 

 animal, with an agreeable gait, used by ladies ; secondly, 

 an Arab breed reserved exclusively for the saddle ; thirdly, 

 a stouter animal used for ploughing and various purposes ; 

 and lastly, the large Damascus breed, with a peculiarly long 

 body and ears. In the South of France also there are several 

 breeds, and one of extraordinary size, some individuals being 

 as tall as full-sized horses. Although the ass in England is 

 by no means uniform in appearance, distinct breeds have not 

 been formed. This may probably be accounted for by the 

 animal being kept chiefly by poor persons, who do not rear 

 large numbers, nor carefully match and select the young. 

 For, as we shall see in a future chapter, the ass can wiih 

 ease be greatly improved in size and strength by careful 

 selection, combined no doubt with good food ; and we may 

 infer that all its other characters would be equally amend- 

 able to selection. The small size of the ass in England and 

 Northern Europe is apparently due far more to want of care 

 in breeding than to cold ; for in Western India, where the ass 

 is used as a beast of burden by some of the lower castes, it is 

 not much larger than a Newfoundland dog, " being generally 

 not more than from twenty to thirty inches high." ^^ 



" Dr. Solater, in ' Pruc. Zoolog. Horse,' 1845, p. 207. 



Soc.,' 1862, p. 164. Dr. Hartmanu " Col. Sykes' Cat. of Mammalia, 



says (' Annalen der Landw.' B. .xliv. p. ' Proc. Zoolog. Soc' July 12th, 1831. 



222) that this animal in its wild state •Villiamson, 'Oriental Field SporU,' 



is not always striped across the legs. ol. ii., quoted by Martin, p. 206. 



'^ W. C. Martin, 'History of the 



VOL. I If 



