THE ASS. 373 



Cutch brays witli the discordant sound heard too often from the 

 domesticated ass, and which has no doubt helped to bring his race 

 into contempt. 



The wild asses of Asia appear to be endowed with considerable 

 courage, and are anything but stupid beasts. They employ their 

 teeth as well as their feet when fighting. If attacked by wolves 

 or other enemies, the herd range themselves in a circle, with the 

 weak animals or foals in the centre, and they fight so desperately 

 that they are said to almost invariably come off victorious. 



They are described as untamable, but the individuals of the 

 kiang species that have been domesticated have exhibited gentle and 

 docile temperaments. Nevertheless these Cutch asses are fre- 

 quently captured,, and used to improve the breeds of the domes- 

 ticated species. They are quite gentle while young, but become 

 unruly when adult, which makes them almost useless for practical 

 purposes. 



The wild ass of Africa {Asinus toeniopus) is found in the moun- 

 tains of Abyssinia, and the desert plains lying between the Nile 

 and the Red Sea. From the fact that it brays, and is marked 

 with cross bands around the legs, and with transverse shoulder 

 stripes, a peculiarity frequently observable in our tame breeds, 

 Darwin and others have concluded that it is the original race from 

 whence our domesticated animals have sprung, and that these 

 markings are when seen instances of reversion to the ances- 

 tral type. Another argument in favour of this assumption is that 

 the domestic beast evinces a marked aversion to wetting its feet, 

 or to cross the smallest stream, a trait which is also noticeable 

 in the camel, and it displays a strong partiality for rolling in 

 the dust or sand, which being considered an inherited proclivity, 

 points to_the fact that arid deserts were the original home of the race. 

 Sir S. Baker frequently refers in his books to these animals. 

 " Those who have seen donkeys in their civilized state," he writes, 

 " have no conception of the beauty of the wild or original animals. 

 It is the perfection of activity and courage, and has a high-bred 

 tone in the deportment, a high-actioned step when it trots freely 

 over the rocks and sand, with the speed of a horse when it gallops 

 over the boundless desert. His colour is reddish-cream, tinged 



