318 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
Madras. He drove the animal before him, he told me, “as if it were 
a cow.” 
The horn of the rhinoceros is still held in much esteem by the 
natives of India, both for making into cups and for the preparation of 
adrug. They will pay sportsmen a high price for these horns, but 
are particular about obtaining the right article, as I learned from a 
gentleman who, as a speculation, brought a number of rhinoceros 
horns from Africa, but failed to dispose of them in the Calcutta 
bazaar. 
Having thus offered an explanation of what has hitherto been a 
difficulty to commentators, I should not be surprised if evidence should 
be forthcoming to prove that it has been the custom with the natives 
to adorn with coloured pigments the cuirass-like hides of tame rhi- 
noceroses. 
Since the above paragraph was written, I have obtained sufficient 
confirmation of the correctness of this view, for, on turning to Rous- 
selet’s work on the Native Courts of India,* I find an account of a 
rhinoceros’ fight at Baroda, which took place before the Gaikowar. 
The two animals were chained at opposite sides of the arena—one of 
them was painted black, the other red, in order that they might be dis- 
tinguished, for otherwise they resembled each other in every point. 
Ktesias’ horned ass, therefore, had probably been whitewashed, 
and had had his horn painted blue and scarlet by his owner—who little 
foresaw what food for discussion and comment he was affording, by 
that simple act, to twenty centuries of philosophers and historians. 
12. Witp Horszs anp AssEs (Imzou kal 6vou ayptot). 
Equus onager, Pallas.—Wild Ass of Cutch, &c. 
According to Ailian* there are herds of wild horses and also of wild 
asses. ‘‘ These interbreed, and the mules are of a reddish colour, and 
very fleet, but impatient of the yoke and very skittish. They say that 
they catch these mules with foot-traps, and then take them to the king 
of the Prasians, and that if they are caught when two years old they 
do not refuse to be broken in, but if caught when beyond that age they 
differ in no respect from sharp-toothed and carnivorous animals.” 
The mention of both horses and asses is no doubt due to the some- 
what mule-like characters of the wild ass which is found in Western 
India, and is called Ghor-khur in Hindustani, and Ghour by the 
Persians. A closely allied species is the Avang of Thibet. (£. hemto- 
nus, Pallas.) Even now by travellers they are sometimes spoken of as 
wild horses, but their neigh or bray, and tail, prove them to be true asses. 
In the Bikaneer State, according to Dr. Jerdon, ‘‘ once only in the year, 
35 L’ Inde des Rajahs. 
56 Hist. Anim., xvi. 9. (Cf. Megasthenes, by J. W. M‘Crindle, p. 168- 
