DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ASS AND HORSE. 305 



6. The male ass has two rudimental teats in the form of 

 small tubercles. They are absent in the horse. 



7. The ass brays ; the horse neighs. 



8. In the ass, the deep depression at the base of the 

 epiglottis is covered by a thin membrane, which is capable of 

 vibrating, and which is wanting in the horse. Its presence 

 may have some influence in causing the voice of the ass to 

 differ from that of the horse. I may mention that the 

 epiglottis is a cartilage that acts as a door to the larynx, which 

 is the organ of voice, and which forms an opening into the 

 windpipe. 



9. 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 among 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. 



10. 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 nut- 

 meg 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, and that the ass has, in all 

 probability, been longer, under the influence of domestication 

 than the horse. 



1 1 . As regards conformation, I may say that the ass differs 

 from the horse, chiefly, by its greater height over the croup, 

 as compared to that at the withers, and by the narrowness, 

 uprightness, and concavity of its hoofs. The excess of height 

 at the croup tends to make the withers of the ass appear 



