416 



THE ODD-TOED ANIMALS. 



The Appearance The Somal Ass {Equus asinus somal- 

 and Habits of the icus) differs from the Ass of the 

 Somal Ass. Plains in its greater size and longer, 

 pendent mane. It is gray with an indistinct stripe 

 on the back. The shoulder cross is absent; the legs, 

 however, show numerous distinct black transverse 

 bands. It is a native of the Somal country, while 

 the more widely known Ass of the Plains is found in 

 the deserts of Upper Nubia. It is plentiful near the 

 Atbara, the main tributary of the Nile, and also in 

 the plains of Barka. Its range extends to the coast 

 of the Red Sea. There it exists under circumstances 



THE DOMESTIC ASS. Plodding, hardworking and very useful, the Donkey, while not 



much used in the northern and eastern parts of the United States, is a principal beast of burden in 

 many foreign countries and also in the southwestern mountain regions of our own country. The 

 hind foot is the favorite weapon of the Domestic Ass, and the little Dog in the picture is in great 

 danger. {Bguus asinus.) 



quite similar to those of the Dziggetai and Onager. 

 Every stallion is the leader of a herd of from ten to 

 fifteen mares, over which he watches and which he 

 defends. It is extremely shy and wary, and very 

 difficult of pursuit. All tame Asses employed in the 

 south, and probably also in Abyssinia, appear to de- 

 scend from this stock, for the Arabs declare that 

 they strikingly resemble the wild Asses. The striped 

 feet of southern Asses, especially those of the Somal 

 Ass, are a noteworthy feature: for they prove that 

 the Ass is a link between its Asiatic relatives and the 

 Zebras. 



The Ass of the Plains has been domesticated from 

 the earliest times, and wild specimens have been 

 continually used to improve the breed. The ancient 

 Romans expended large sums of money on its im- 

 provement, and the Arabs still make great efforts 

 to constantly improve the blood of the domestic 

 variety. It is only in some parts of Europe that 

 the tame Ass has degenerated into a mere cripple 

 through constant neglect. 



Aaaea of fhrthfrn U we compare the German Ass, con- 



£urope Saiily veying the flour to the mill or drag- 



Deteriorated. gjng the milk-cart, with his southern 



brothers, we are sometimes almost tempted to regard 



the two as different animals,, so slight is the resem- 

 blance they bear to each other. The northern Ass 

 is everywhere known to be a lazy, self-willed and 

 often an especially obstinate fellow, though wrongly 

 believed to be the embodiment of dullness and stu- 

 pidity; the southern Ass, on the other hand, espe- 

 cially the Egyptian Ass, is a handsome, lively, ex- 

 ceedingly diligent animal of great endurance, with 

 a working capacity very little less than that of the 

 Horse, which latter, indeed, in some respects the 

 Ass surpasses. But it is subjected to very much 

 more careful treatment than its northern brother. 

 In many parts of the Orient the best 

 breeds are kept as pure as those of 

 the noblest Horses; they are well fed, 

 -=r— ^_ not overworked in youth, and an 



adult Ass can therefore do work the 



^^^^4;S^rr Ass of northern Europe could never 

 "" " accomplish. The nations of the East 



are perfectly right to bestow much 

 attention on the breeding of Asses, 

 for with them it is a domestic animal 

 in the full meaning of the word. It is 

 found attached to the establishments 

 of the rich and in the huts of the 

 poor, and is the most indispensable 

 domestic of every southerner. In 

 Greece and Spain one may see very 

 beautiful Donkeys, though they are 

 much inferior to the average Ass of 

 the Orient, especially of Persia, Tur^ 

 comania and Egypt. The Greek and 

 Spanish Asses are of about the size 

 \./ of a small Mule; their hair is sleek 

 and soft, the mane is tolerably long, 

 and the tail-tuft proportionately very 

 long; the ears are long, but fine; the 

 eyes are lustrous. The great power 

 of endurance, the easy, traveling pace 

 and gentle gallop of the Ass render 

 it an animal unsurpassed in good 

 qualities for riding. 

 The Arabian Ass The Arabian Asses, 

 the Finest especially those bred 

 Variety. j^ Jemen, are even su- 

 perior to the other varieties of orien- 

 tal Asses. There are two breeds; one is large, coura- 

 geous, swift, well adapted for travel under the saddle; 

 the other is smaller and weaker and is generally used 

 to carry burdens. The large Ass has probably been 

 improved by successive crosses with the Onager. 

 Quite similar breeds are found in Persia and Egypt, 

 where a good Donkey commands a high market 

 price. A saddle Donkey fulfilling all requirements 

 is more expensive than an indifferent Horse and it 

 is by no means seldom that its price amounts to 

 as much as three hundred and fifty dollars. Bo- 

 gumil Goltz speaking of the Egyptian Donkey says: 

 "One really can not imagine a more serviceable and 

 honest creature than this Donkey. Some large fel- 

 low throws himself on a little Donkey, the size of a 

 six weeks old calf, and urges it on at a gallop. 

 These slenderly built creatures proceed^ at an excel- 

 lent amble; but their possession of the strength 

 necessary to enable them to drag an adult person 

 around for hours, trotting and galloping even during 

 the great heat of midday, seems to me beyond the 

 possibilities of nature, and might be called a Don- 

 key mystery." The saddle Donkeys have their hair 

 very carefully clipped short over all portions of 

 the body, except on the thighs where the hair is 



