THIBETAN KIANG 



243 



different distribution ; it is confined to the high tablelands of 

 Thibet at an elevation of 15,000 feet and upwards. In correla- 

 tion with this habitat it has a thicker and more " furry " coat, 

 which is, moreover, of a darker shade than that of the Onager. 

 This coat is shed in the summer, and replaced by one which is 

 not so dark in hue. It is an interesting fact that the African 

 "Wild Asses approach to the zebra type in having at least traces of 

 stripings. There are apparently two species. The best known. 



Fig. 126. — Nubian Wilil Ass. Equus africcmus. 



the Nubian Ass, E. africanus, is probably the parent of the 

 domestic donkey. It has a dorsal longitudinal stripe, and 

 another across the shoulder — in legend the marks of the Saviour. 

 The matter of the name of this Ass seems difficult to decide. It 

 has been called also E. asln.us and E. taeniopus. It has been 

 observed that this animal has a great aversion to water, and a 

 deUo-ht in roUing in the dust — both of which characteristics 

 argue a desert existence. But on the other hand the Kiang 

 will plunge boldly into streams, yet it would seem to be the 

 descendant of a purely desert form. 



The Ass is a longer-lived 



