184 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
towards a definite end — large size, accom- 
panied by great physical strength and powers 
of endurance. To accomplish this, speed has 
had to be sacrificed. 
ASSES AND MULES 
ASSES 
THE DOMESTIC ASS, so common to-day 
in these islands, is of African origin, and 
has, moreover, departed but little in either 
form or colour from the wild race. This is 
probably due to the fact that the ass has 
not been subjected in this country to that 
process of rigorous and careful selection that 
the horse has undergone. 
We have no record of its first intro- 
duction to England, but it was certainly 
known in the reign of Ethelred, though it 
was a rare animal. Later it appears to 
have died out, and to have been reintroduced 
in the reign of Elizabeth; but it has never 
become popular. This is unfortunate; its 
sterling qualities have never been really 
appreciated there. Spain, Italy, and Malta 
have all succeeded in raising some fine breeds. 
The United States has, however, produced 
ee — the finest of all in animals standing some 
EGYPTIAN DONKEYS 15 or 16 hands (5 feet or 5 feet 4 inches) 
The ass has long been known to the Egyptians, having been in use by high. 
them before the introduction of the horse 
MULES 
The term MULE, strictly speaking, should be reserved for the offspring of the male ass and: 
the mare: the offspring of the opposite cross is called the HINNY. Mules are valued on account 
of their great powers of endurance and their sure-footedness. The finest and handsomest are 
bred in Spain, the United 
States, and North-west India. 
It is interesting to note 
that mules exhibit a strong 
tendency to revert to the 
dun-coloured and striped col- 
oration believed to belong to 
the primitive horses. The spi- 
nal andshoulder stripes which 
sometimes appear in horses, 
and more frequently in asses, 
occur yet more frequently in 
mules. The legs of the mules 
appear particularly liable to 
revert to this striped colora- “s 
tion in the United States, it ' prom C Reid] a — Nee eae NB 
is said nine out of ten being 
so marked. 
MULES 
