5 66 THE ZEBRA. 



natures of the two animals; for the zebra was 

 four years of age, and, in every other exercife, 

 was fprightly and vigorous. 



The zebra is not the animal mentioned by the 

 ancients under the name of onager. In the Le- 

 vant, in the eaftern parts of Afia, and in the 

 north of Africa, there is a fine race of affes, 

 which, like the moft beautiful horfes, originated 

 in Arabia *. This race differs from the common 

 kind by the largenefs of their body, the nim- 

 blenefs of their limbs, and the luftre of their hair. 

 They are of one uniform colour, which is a 

 beautiful moufe gray, with a black crofs on the 

 back and fhoulders. Sometimes their colour is 

 a brighter gray, with a whitifh crofs f . Thefe 

 African and Afiatic affes J, though more beau- 

 tiful 



* In Perfia there are two kinds of afles ; thofe belonging 

 to the country, which, like ours, are flow and ftupid, and ufed 

 for carrying burdens only ; and the Arabian afles, which are 

 extremely handfome, and the moft excellent of the fpecies. 

 They have fmooth hair, a high head, and nimble limbs. They 

 are ufed folely for riding. . . . Like horfes, they are trained 

 to amble ; and their motion is extremely foft, and fo fleet, 

 that it requires a gallop to keep up with them; Voyaged: 

 Chardln, torn. 2. p. 27. Voyage de Tavernicr, torn. 2. p. 20. 



f At Baiibra, I faw a wild afs. Its figure differed not 

 from that of the domeftic kind ; but its colour was brighter, 

 and, from the head to the tail, there was a band of whitifh 

 hair. ... In running, and in every other motion, it feemed 

 to be much more nimble than the common kind ; Voyage de 

 Pietra dclla Valle> torn. 8. p. 49. 



% The Moors, who come to Cape-Verd to traffick, carry 

 their baggage and wares upon aifes. Thefe aaimals were fo 

 beautiful and lb fmooth fcinned, that it was with difficulty I 



could 



