301 A Farther Note on Wild Asses. [No. 4, 



and possessed all the marks which distinguished this species from the 

 Hamar or Ahmar of Sudan[!]. He stood ahout two hands higher 

 than a common Ass [the race found in England is doubtless meant*] 

 was very strong-limbed, of a rich slatish ash-colour, with the stripe 

 running from the mane to the tail, and the cross-stripe on the shoulder ; 

 his coat very sleek and short [the summer vesture]. His nose and 

 limbs were white ; and the lower part of the neck, and between the 

 shoulders, whitish ; the mane and tail blackish ; with ears broad ; and 

 I think, perhaps, longer than in the common Ass : square-built and 

 powerful ; with a keen, lively eye ; and teeth ready to seize the first 

 opportunity for a snap at any by-stander. He trotted with great speed, 

 and cantered easily. He had been caught when very young, and was 

 considered unusually tame for one of his species ; but still he was capri- 

 cious and unmanageable, and required a ti'emendous bit to hold him. 



" These Asses form valuable beasts of burthen, from their power of 

 sustaining a three-days' march without water ; but the adults are very 

 difficult to entrap and impossible to train. The natives say that they 

 are not gregarious [?], but consort regularly with the Ostrich, and 

 have a keen sight and still keener scent. I have since regretted tha^ 

 I did not make some effort to bring this animal to England ; because, 

 I feel persuaded, that it differs, as a variety, if not as a species, from 

 any hitherto seen in our Zoological Gardens." 



Of a rich slatish ash-colour, with the humeral as well as the dorsal 

 stripe well developed ! Surely the true aboriginal Donkey, as I con- 

 tended before ; and, from a brief description which I have received 

 from the present talented Secretary of the Zoological Society, P. L. 

 Sclater, Esq., I should say identical in race with another African 

 (Nubian ?) specimen, received some time ago in that Society's mena- 

 gerie : only the latter has limb-stripes, also, which is not stated of Mr. 

 Tristram's animal ; though this is of no importance whatever, except 

 that the African Onager's limb-stripes would seem to be those com- 

 monly seen in domestic Asses ; whereas the limb-markings of the 

 Ghor-khur (when it shews them), are altogether different, consisting 

 of narrow and close wavy and sometimes reticulating cross-lines' 

 chiefly at the joints, and of a light fawn-colour ; those of the true 



* The late Don Carlos had an Ass in his stud-house at Aranjuez, in 1832, that 

 exceeded fifteen Lands in height. Vide the Hon'ble llichard Ford's Gatherings 

 in Syain (1816), p. 72. 



