242 



THE ONAGER 



The Asses and Zebras differ from the Horse in the characters 

 mentioned under the description of Ecpms caballus. In addition 

 to these may be pointed out a feature to which attention lias 

 been directed by Mr. Tegetmeier.^ According to him the period 

 of gestation in the Horse is only eleven months ; in the others 

 more than twelve 



Opinions as to the number of species of Asses differ. On 

 the most liberal estimate there are three Asiatic and two African 



Fig. 125. — Asiatic Wild Ass. Hcpius onager, x ^V 



species. The best known of the Asiatic Wild Asses is the Onager, 

 E. onager. It is of a uniform yellowish, " desert " colour, with 

 a dark stripe along the middle of the back, and is found in 

 Persia, the Punjab, and the country of Cutch. The creature is 

 of great swiftness ; it has been stated to be untameable, but Mr. 

 Tegetmeier makes the absolutely opposite statement that the 

 Ass occasionally " becomes so tame as to be troublesome " ! The 

 Syrian Wild Ass, U. lumippnn, hardly, if at all, differs from this. 

 The Kiang, E. liemionus, seems to have more claims to 

 distinctness. In the first place it has a more limited and a 



' Horses, Asses, and Zeiras, London, 189.5. 



