318 MAMMALIA— ASS. 



say, of the shadow of his ears ; as care is not taken to currycomb him, he 

 frequently roils himself on the grass, thistles, and in the dust ; and, without 

 regarding his load, he lays himself down to roll about as often as he can, 

 and by this seems to reproach his master for the little care he takes of him. 

 For he does not paddle about in the mud and in the water ; he even fears 

 to wet his feet, and will turn out of his road to avoid the mud. His legs are 

 also drier and cleaner than the horse ; he is susceptible of education, and 

 some have been seen sufficiently disciplined to be made a show of. 



In their earliest youth they are sprightly, and even handsome. They 

 are light and genteel ; but either from age or bad treatment, they soon lose 

 their beauty, and become slow, indocile, and headstrong. Pliny assures 

 us, that, when they separate the mother from the young one, she will go 

 through fire to recover it. The ass is also strongly attached to his master, 

 notwithstanding he is usually ill treated ; he will smell him afar off, and 

 can distinguish him from all other men. He also knows the places where 

 he has lived, and the ways which he has frequented. His eyes are good, 

 and his smell acute ; his ears are excellent, Avhich has also contributed to 

 his being numbered among timid animals, all of which, it is pretended, have 

 the hearing extremely delicate, and the ears long. When he is overloaded, 

 he shows it by lowering his head and bending down his ears. When he is 

 greatly abused, he opens his mouth, and draws back his lips in a most dis- 

 agreeable manner, which gives him an air of derision and scorn. If his 

 eyes are covered over, he remains motionless ; and when he is laid dowii on 

 his side, and his head is fixed in such a manner that one eye rests on the 

 ground, and that the other is covered with a piece of wood or stick, he will 

 remain in this situation v/ithout any motion or endeavor to get up. He 

 walks, trots, and gallops like the horse ; but all his motions are smaller, 

 and much slower : notwithstanding he can run with tolerable SAviftness, he 

 can gallop but a little way, and only for a small space of time, and, what- 

 ever pace he uses, if he is hard pressed, he is soon fatigued. 



