432 ON THE WILD ASS OF MONGOLIA. [Mar. 15, 



in the winter and summer coat it lacks, however, the distinctly 

 rufous-chestnut tint so characteristic of the latter, while it is 

 further characterised by the much less marked contrast between 

 the light and dark areas of the coat ; the light ai-eas on the 

 muzzle, buttocks, legs, and underparts being " isabella- coloured " 

 instead of pure white, and thus much less sharply differentiated 

 from the fawn- of the rest of the body. The general colour is pale 

 sandy fawn, with the tips of the ears, mane, dorsal stripe (which 

 is continued down the tail) brown ; and there seems to be but 

 little difference in this respect between the summer and winter 

 coats. The dorsal stripe is narrow, as in the Kiang, and thus 

 distinct from that of the Ghor-khar and Onager, which is broader 

 and bordei'ed with white. In oi'der to show the difference between 

 the present animal and the true Kiang, I give (in PL XXVIII.) 

 a coloui'ed illusti-ation of the latter, for which the Society is also 

 indebted to its President. 



I take it that the Woburn animal is the true Equus hemionus 

 of Pallas*, which came from Mongolia, and is known to the 

 natives as the Chigetai (Dziggetai). It is certainly entitled 

 to be regarded as subspecifically distinct from the Kiang of Tibet 

 and Ladak, and the latter should accordingly be known as Equxis 

 hemionus kiang Moorcroft. Judging from its coloration, the 

 Chigetai should be an inhabitant of more desert covmtry than 

 that frequented by the Kiang ; and by comparing accounts of the 

 Gobi with what I know of Ladak, this would seem to be the case. 

 In separating these two forms I am in accord with Dr. Matschie 

 (SB. Ges. naturfor. Fr. Berlin, 1893, p. 208). 



If the Chigetai and the Kiang are regarded as races of one 

 species, there w^ould seem considei-able reason for considering the 

 Onager and the Ghor-khar as subspecies of a second ; for the 

 two latter certainly differ from the two former much more than 

 do the members of the two groups from one another. In their 

 tendency to a greyer colour, smaller hoofs, and possibly in a 

 greater length of ear, the two southern forms present an approxi- 

 mation to the trvie Wild Asses of Africa, which is quite what 

 we might expect from their geographical distribution. In colour, 

 and pei'haps also in length of ear, as well as in their cry, the 

 Chigetai and the Kiang are more horse-like. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



Plate XXVII. 



Male Cliigetai [Equus hemionus) from Kobdo, now living at Woburn Abbey, 

 in summer coat. 



Plate XXVIII. 



Female Kiang {Equus hemionus Iciang), from a Ladak specimen, 

 in the summer coat, at Woburn Abbey. 



* Nov. Comm. Petrop. xix. p. 397, pi. 7 (1775). 



