318 MAMMALIA—ASS. 
say, of the shadow of his ears; as care is not taken to currycomb him, he 
frequently rolls 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 
come 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 exe, she will go 
through fire to recover it. The ass is also strongly attacned to his master, 
notwithstanding he is usually ill treated; he will smell nim 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, which 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 down 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 without 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 swiftness, 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. 
