16 THE AFRICAN WILD ASS. 



wliose first foal was a liybrid of zebra parentage is well 

 known. 



Whether this young ass bred in the Gardens is merely 

 an accidental variation^ or whether it owes its peculiarities 

 to the influence of the Hemippe, is a point which I will not 

 endeavour to decide. The white blaze on the face is most 

 peculiar, and I am informed by Mr. C. L. Sutherland, 

 who is well known in connection with the breeding of 

 equine animals and their hybrids, that he has never seen 

 this blaze, so common on the horse, on any of the many 

 thousand asses that have come under his notice in Europe 

 and America. The facts of the case are, therefore, worth 

 putting on record. 



Captain Hayes, in his recent work on " The Points of 

 the Horse,^^ says: — 



"The ass hardly ever has any irregular markings on its 

 coat, such as a ' star,' ' blaze,' ' reach,' or ' stockings,' all of 

 which are very frequent amongst horses. A small star, on one 

 or two occasions, is the only mark of the kind I have ever seen 

 in the ass. At the same time, I must state that I have not had 

 much experience among these animals. 



" I believe I am correct in saying that the colour of the ass 

 is never of a bright bay, chestnut, red or blue roan, or nutmeg 

 grey. I have seen mules of an iron-grey colour, but have 

 not observed it in the ass. This conservatism in colour and 

 freedom from irregular markings, shown by the ass, is very 

 remarkable, considering how greatly the coat of the horse 

 varies in this respect." 



Captain Hayes also calls attention to the different extent 

 of the patches of thickened skin, which he terms the shell, 

 that cover the croup and the pelvis in the horse, whereas 

 in the ass it extends all over the ribs, which are con- 

 sequently not as sensitive to the effects of blows as are 



