414 



THE ODD-TOED ANIMALS. 



The Range The Dziggetai or Koulan is a child 

 of the Kou- f the steppes. Though it prefer- 

 lan. aD iy affects the environs of lakes and 



rivers, it does not shun the arid, waterless, desert-like 

 regions; neither does it avoid mountains, provided 

 that" the open country continues to prevail, and the 

 region is not overgrown with forests. It is not the 

 rarefied air of the heights in the mountain, the 

 glaring heat of the sun in summer, nor the icy cold 

 of the low plains in winter; not the piercing snow- 

 storms of the heights, nor the hot cloud of sand 

 whirling in the valley below, which bounds the do- 

 main of this hardy animal of the steppes. It is solely 

 Man, who determines, or at least dominantly influ- 

 ences, its range of territory and manner of existence. 

 When the wide country has been in the least 



Traits and Habits A fondness for the society of its kind 

 of the Kou- or even of other species of animals, 

 Ian. i s one f ^e main traits of the char- 



acter of this wild Horse, as well as of the solid- 

 hoofed animals in general. As the Zebra, Quagga 

 and Dauw join the herds of African Antelopes and 

 Ostriches, one also sees the Dziggetai in the moun- 

 tains in company with various kinds of wild Sheep, 

 the Antelope of Tibet and the Grunting Ox in the 

 lowlands, or grazing together with the Saiga or 

 others of the numerous family of Antelopes. It is 

 also on friendly terms with stray Horses. 



A person who has seen Koulans in their native 

 country and at full liberty, will not hesitate to de- 

 clare them highly-endowed animals. The eye of the 

 observer, fascinated by their movements, regards the 



THE KOULAN. The largest and one of the wildest and swiftest of the wild Asses of Asia is this animal, which is here appropriately 



depicted in its hign home in the table-lands of Tibet. It has more the aspect of a Horse than an Ass, although the shape of the body and tail are 

 Ass-like. It looks so much like the Mule that it has been given a scientific name meaning "half-Ass." (Equus hemionus.) 



invaded by nomad tribes, or where the wandering 

 shepherd regularly goes back and forth at long in- 

 tervals with his herds, the Koulan is driven away. 

 Where, in the midst of abundant pasturages, there are 

 strips of country so poor, so desolate and so barren 

 that even that precursor of civilized Man, the shep- 

 herd, never enters but sedulously shuns them: there 

 one is sure to find this wild Horse led thither by its 

 unquenchable thirst for unbounded freedom, enjoy- 

 ing itself amid the general desolation. 



It still inhabits several districts of Akmolinsk in 

 tolerably large numbers, a strip of steppes between 

 the Altai and the Saisan Lake, and is found in all 

 congenial places to the south and east of that region, 

 in southern Siberia and Turkestan, though in less 

 numbers than in the wide, deserted plains of Mon- 

 golia and northwestern China, or on the mountains 

 of Tibet. 



incomparable agility of the swift creatures with de- 

 lighted amazement. " It is the most wonderful spec- 

 tacle," says Gay, "to see with what rapidity they 

 climb the mountains, with what skill they pick their 

 way down without stumbling. Koulans which ,we 

 pursued, scoured over the hills and dales of the 

 steppes, as if they were amusing themselves with the 

 exercise of their indefatigable strength." 



An animal of this kind easily escapes the pursuit 

 of the larger beasts of prey. In the steppes of west- 

 ern Asia there is none which possesses the temerity 

 to attack Koulans; even Wolves in that country do 

 not dare attack healthy wild Horses, as these latter 

 make excellent use of their vigorous hoofs in ward- 

 ing off their enemies. Weak and diseased Koulans, 

 which stray away from the herd, are probably the 

 only ones attacked by Wolves. In the southern and 

 southeastern portion of its range the Tiger may oc- 



