THE ZEBRA. 447 



legs of the young ass, as in other animals of its genus. The 

 Persians eat the flesh of asses. The milk is considered very 

 wholesome drink. Nero's wife, Poppsea, used to bathe every 

 morning in ass's milk, which is also thought a great beautifier 

 and preserver of the skin. Sagri, or, as we call it, shagreen, 

 is made of the hide which in this country is used for shoe 

 leather. The integuments being hard and elastic, form good 

 parchment, which is used for pocket-tablets and for drums. 

 The bones being very solid, were made into very superior flutes 

 by the ancients. To serve the two latter purposes of literature 

 and music, is the only honour that awaits the ass when finally 

 released from the brutality of its master, But enough of the 

 ass, though I am ready to say with Sterne that " with an ass 

 I could commune for ever." Let every man who keeps one 

 treat it well, and use it as though he loved it. 



THE ZEBRA, OR WILDE-PAARDE. 



(Asinus zebra: Equus montana, Burchell.)* 



Of zebra-like animals, or regularly striped asses, there are 

 three well known species, all natives of South Africa. These, 



* Burchell has confounded the names of two species. His Equus zebra, is 

 not the zebra, but the douw (Asinus cristatus), and his E. montanus is the 

 zebra, and not the douw. 



