THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 87 



asinine, with the hoofs elongated ; short pastern, small 

 callosities on the hind legs ; and the tail clothed with 

 short fur for several inches before the long black hair 

 begins. The animal is entirely of a reddish bay 

 color, without streak or mark on the spine, or any 

 white about the limbs. We made our sketch at 

 Portsmouth, and believe it refers to the same animal, 

 which lived for many years, if we are rightly informed, 

 in a paddock of the late Lord Grenville's. There was 

 in the British Museum a stuffed specimen exactly 

 corresponding in size and color, but with a head 

 (possibly in consequence of the taxidermist wanting 

 the real skull) much longer and less in depth. The 

 other specimen, which came from the mountains north 

 of Accra in Guinea, was again entirely similar. We 

 were told that in voice it differed from both horse 

 and ass ; and in temper, that which died on shipboard, 

 though very wild and shy at first, was by no means 

 vicious, and it fed on sea-biscuit with willingness." 



The Steppes, as the great table land of Central 

 Asia is called, extend from the borders of Hungary 

 to those of China. They constitute an. almost unin- 

 terrupted plain, of considerable elevation, covered in 

 spring and autumn by a luxuriant herbage ; in winter 

 by drifting snows, heaped up in some places, and 

 leaving the ground bare in others ; and in summer by 

 clouds of dust so excessively fine, that even on the 

 calmest day they hang suspended in the air, having 

 the appearance rather of a varjor exhaled from the 



