THE ZEBRA. 267 



tiful than thofe of Europe, proceed equally from 

 the onagri or uo'ild ajfes, which are (till nume- 

 rous in South and Eaft Taitary *, in Perfia, Sy- 

 ria, the iflands of the Archipelago, and in Mau- 

 ritania "f. The onagers differ from the dome- 

 flic afles by thofe qualities only which refult 

 from freedom and independence : They are 

 ftronger and more nimble, and they have more 

 courage and vivacity. The figure of their bodies 



is 



could recognife them to be afles. Thofe of Europe, I ima- 

 gine, would be in the fame condition, if their labour, and the 

 manner in which they are loaded, did not greatly disfigure 

 them. Their hair was of a beautiful, fhining, moufe gray- 

 colour, upon which the black band along the back, and acrofs 

 the fhoulders, had a fine effect Thefe afles are a little lar- 

 ger than ours. Their head, however, is eafily diftinguifhable 

 from that of the horfe, efpecially the Barbary horfe, which is 

 a native of this country, and of a (till higher flature ; Voyage 

 au Senegal, par M. Adanjon^ p. Ij8. — There are great num- 

 bers of wild afles in the deferts of Numidia and Lybia, and 

 the adjacent country. They are fo fleet, that the Barbary 

 horfes alone are able to overtake them in the courfe. As 

 foon as they fee a man, they flop, fling up their heels, and 

 cry ; and, when he is near, they run off. They are taken by 

 various kinds of fnares. They go in troops to pafture and 

 to drink. Their flefh is very good ; but it mud be allowed 

 to cool two days after being roafted, on account of its ft-rong 

 fmell. We have feen a number of thefe animals in Sardi- 

 nia ; but they were fmaller ; L'Afrique de Marmol, torn. z. 



* The animal which the Mogul Tartars call Czigithai, and 

 which Meiferfchmid has denominated mulus fiecundus Dauri- 

 C.a, is the fame with the onager or 'wild afs. 



| We find many wild afles in the iflands of Peine, and of 

 Levata or Lebinthos. . . . They are alio found in the ifland 

 of Cythera, now called Cerigo ; Dejcript. des ijles de /' Arc! ^ l x 

 far Dapper, p. 185. 37 s* 



