1859.] On the different Animals known as wild Asses. 253 



of Col. C. H. Smith is rejected, as having been founded on insufficient 

 evidence of the existence of such an animal. 



It is highly improbable, also, that other wild asinine species yet 

 remain to be distinguished. 



To recapitulate, I have endeavoured in this paper to establish the 

 following novel propositions. 



1. That the true Onager and Hemionus of ancient writers were 

 unknown to Pallas, who has assigned those names to cognate species 

 or races that were unknown to the Greeks and Romans. 



2. That, accordingly, the Koulan of N. Asia is not the true 

 Onager or aboriginal wild Ass, but that it is identical with the 

 Indian Ghor-khur. 



3. That the true Onager or wild Ass is not an inhabitant of 

 N. Asia, but of N. E. Africa and the southern portion of Arabia. 



4. That the Koulan and the Dshiggetai or Kyang, instead of being 

 strongly distinguished apart, as has been asserted, bear so exceedingly 

 close a resemblance that no decided specifical distinction has yet 

 been satisfactorily pointed out, however probable that such distinction 

 may exist. 



Why, therefore, the one should be popularly styled a i wild Horse,' 

 and the other a ' wild Ass,' is difficult to comprehend. Eveu Pallas 

 terms the Dshiggetai " un Cheval sauvage," though describing it as 

 " ni Cheval ni Ane," — while the other he both designates as the 

 Ass of the steppes and as the " Cheval ou Ane," employing the word 

 * Cheval' in its German equivalent evidently in the sense of Equus. 

 Col. Chesney, as we have seen, terms the Arabian A. hemippus a 

 'wild Horse,' as distinguished from his wild Ass of S. Arabia! The 

 fact is, I apprehend, that the vague application of these names has re- 

 sulted merely from the colouring. 



April 18th, 1859. 



