CHAPTER XXIII 



THE ASS 



The ancestry of the ass may be traced to the wild ass of Africa 

 and Asia. The males are usually termed jacks and the females 

 jennets. The following are the important species of the wild ass. 



The African wild ass {Equus asinus). This species is found 

 wild in Abyssinia, Nubia, and northeastern Africa between the 

 Nile and the Red Sea. It is very similar to the domestic ass in 

 color and markings, but has a distinct shoulder stripe extending 

 from the withers to the arm of the fore leg. 



The Asiatic wild ass {Equus hemiomts). It occurs in Asia 

 on extensive plains, from Syria through Persia, Afghanistan, the 

 Punjab, and Tibet to the Chinese frontier. The general color is 

 reddish gray, varying to fawn or pale chestnut. A dark brown 

 stripe, sometimes with a white edge, extends along the spine from 

 the back of the head to the tail. The ears are large, the tail is 

 covered with short hair which increases in length to form a 

 black brush, and the mane is erect. There are callosities on 

 the fore legs but none on the hind. The height varies from 1 1 

 to 12 hands. This ass is remarkable for speed and endurance. 

 The voice is a shrieking bray. 



From the wild ass various breeds of the domestic ass have 

 descended, ranging in size from those no larger than a New- 

 foundland dog to the size of a draft horse. There are several 

 breeds of importance, from which we in America secure the 

 jackass, or jack, for mating to mares, and these will be discussed 

 after first briefly referring to the domestic type. 



The characteristics of the domestic ass include several features 

 not possessed by the horse. The female is pregnant fully twelve 

 months, the horse eleven. The fore legs have callosities (chest- 

 nuts) while the hind legs have none. The ears are very large 

 and long, the foretop and mane is usually very scanty, and the 



155 



