THE ASS. 



incifion is made on each fide of the nofe, five or fix inches long, in a 

 perpendicular direction to the interior angle of the eye; this incifion is 

 kept open while it is healing, and gives a very difagreeable look to the 

 animal (a.) The AiTes of Arabia and Perfia are likewife fubje& to the fame 

 defect, for which it is ufual to flit their noftrils on the fides, which has a 

 better appearance. 



The fldn of the wild Afs is covered with little tubercles: with it the 

 orientals make their fagri, which we call fhagreen, and ufe for watch-cafes, 

 and other purpofes. The part of the fkin made ufe of, is that which grows 

 near the rump: the granulations are much helped by art (b..) 



It appears that the ancients held the Afs in high eftimation. Pliny tells us 

 that Quintus (Etius, a Roman fenator, gave four hundred crowns for one; and 

 that Heliogabulus caufed them to be diftributed among the people, and 

 confidered them as a magnificent prefent(c) Olearius relates, that he was 

 once invited by the King of Perfia to an entertainment of fruits and fweet- 

 meats; for which purpofe he was conducted to the top of a building formed 

 like a theatre. As foon as the repaft was ended, upwards of thirty wild Afles 

 were brought into the area: the king diverted himfelf for fome time by 

 mooting at them, both with bullets and arrows, and when fome of them 

 were wounded, he permitted the ambafladors and nobles to partake of the 

 fport. The poor animals, tormented with the pain caufed by the arrows 

 ftickino- in them, and unable either to efcape or defend themfelves from the 

 afiaults of their enemies, began biting, kicking, and rolling over each other, 

 till all of them were killed, when they were laid before the king, who fent 

 them into the royal kitchen at Ifpahan, to be drefied for food: the Perfians 

 fetting fo high a value upon the flelh of them, that they have even a proverb 

 exprefiive of it. As it does not appear that thefe wild Afles had been taken 

 in the forefts, it is probable that they were brought up in large parks, merely 

 for the pleafure of hunting and eating them (d.) 



(a) D'Obsonville. 



(b) Buffon. 



(c) Diet. Raison. 



(d) Buffoii. 



