1859.] On the different Animals known as wild Asses. 243 



at least two species are indicated, which are likely to be the Asintjs 

 hemtppus and genuine A. vulgaris in its aboriginally wild state ; 

 and the wild Asses of the island of Socotra may be presumed to be 

 no ohter than the latter. They are noticed by the late Lieut. 

 Wellsted, R. N., who remarks — " Amidst the hills over Tamarida, 

 and upon the plain contiguous to it, there are a great number of 

 Asses, which were described to me as different from the domestic 

 Ass ; but after repeated opportunities of observing them, I could 

 find no reason for such a distinction. The introduction of Camels," 

 he remarks, " having superseded the necessity of employing them 

 as beasts of burthen, they are permitted to stray where they please, 

 and now wander about in troops of ten or twelve, evincing little 

 fear unless approached very near, when they dart away with much 

 rapidity." It is more likely that they are truly aboriginal. 



The genuine wild Ass would, however, appear to be chiefly an 

 inhabitant of N. E. Africa, where considerable troops of these ani- 

 mals still exist, as described by ancient authors ; and being of pre- 

 historical antiquity, it does not appear upon what grounds the late 

 Prince of Canino pronounced them to be the descendants of domes- 

 tic Donkeys, like those (for certain) in the hotter parts only of 

 America : for it may be remarked that it is only in a hot climate 

 that the Ass has returned to wildness,* and the domestic Ass is 

 said to thrive only in a warm climate, and to be reared with diffi- 

 culty even in Norway. To this subject, however, I propose to re- 

 turn in the sequel. 



Whether or not inhabiting the southern parts of the peninsula 

 of Arabia (which our friends at Aden should endeavour to ascer- 



tioned." The Horse is supposed to have been introduced into Egypt by the 

 Hylcsos. In Assyria it was reclaimed at the period of the oldest monuments, as 

 abundantly demonstrated by the discoveries of Layard and others — since Col. 

 Smith wrote. 



* Azara notices, of those which have gone wild in South America, and especially 

 about Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, where he states that the increasing population was 

 fast destroying them (and may have done so by this time), that those which he saw 

 " appeared to be somewhat larger than the domestic Asses of Paraguay, but smaller 

 than the common Asses of Spain ; nor does that large rBce," he adds, " which is 

 there used for the breeding of mules, exist in these parts. They also appear to 

 have larger and stirler ears than in my native country." 



2 i 2 



