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naturalifts as a peculiarity of the fpecies. It is 
probable, however, that two of it's longeft teeth are 
hollow ; that the venom emitted by the Afp flows 
from them; and that they are covered with thin 
pellicles, which Aide downwards v/hen the ferpent 
is difpofed to bite. The fkin of the Afp is faid to 
be covered with fcales, but naturalifts are by no 
means agreed on the colour. Some reckon the 
Afp two cubits long; other four, or five; and 
Kolben affirms that he has often feen it feveral ells 
in length. From this diverfity of opinion, we are 
not v/arranted to decide: it is, however, unquef- 
tionably a native of Africa, and appears to have 
been well known to the ancients. 
Lord Eacon afferts, that the bite of the Afp is 
the leaft painful of all the inftruments of death; 
and fuppofcs it's poifon to have feme affinity to 
opium, but to be lefs difagreeabie in it's operation. 
This, however, does not well accord with the de- 
fcriptions of tlie fymptoms given by Diofcorides 
and others ; who aflert that, immediately after the 
bite, the fight becomes dim^, a fenfible tumour 
arifes, and a moderate pain is felt in the ftomach. 
Matthiolus fays, that the bite is followed by a ftu- 
por of the whole body ; with palenefs, coldness of 
the temples, continual yawning, a niftitation of the 
eye-lids^ an inclination of the neck, a heavinefs of 
tlie head, an irrecoverable ileep, and, lafily, con- 
vulfions, 
Ariftotle informs us, that th? bite of the Afp ad- 
mits of no remedy; and Pliny and Egineta confirm 
this opinion, in cafes v/liere an amputation of the 
part cannot be effeded. Others, however, recom- 
mend cicatrizing the v/ound, together with the in- 
ternal ufe of hot alexipharmic medicines. 
From fome particular parts of this formidable 
ferpent, the ancients made a plaiiler, of fingular 
efficacy, as a difcutient of ftrums, and other indu- 
rations ; and which was likewife beneficial in arth- 
ritic complaints. The flefli and exuviae of this 
anim.al were likewife admitted into the ancient ma- 
teria medica. 
ASPIUS. A fpecies of the cyprinus, belong- 
ing to the abdominal order of hfhes, and com- 
monly found in the lakes of Sweden. 
Ass. A well-known quadruped; which, from 
it's great rcfembiance to the horfe, might naturally 
enough be fuppofed to be of the fame fpecies, and 
only fomewhat degenerated from that noble ani- 
mal : the fpecies, however, are perfectly diftinfl ; 
and thereisaninfeparable line drawn between them, 
the animal produced from the miixture of a horfe 
and an afs being barren. This, indeed, feems to be 
the barrier betv/een every fpecies of animals, which 
keeps them afunder, and preferves the unities of 
their forms. If the mule or monfter bred be- 
tween two animals whofe forms nearly approach 
each other, is no longer fertile, we may then con- 
clude that thefe animals, whatever external fimili- 
tude may appear between them, are certainly dif- 
tin6l and feparate kinds. Nature, which always 
provides for the perfeifiion and prefervation of her 
produftions, has wif:?iy ftopped tiie fecundity of 
thefe ill-formed produftions, in order to preferve 
the form of every animal uncontaminated: v/ere 
not this the cafe, the different fpecies of animals 
v/ould foon be blended with each other; no one 
kind would preferve it's original perfe£tion; every 
creature would quickly degenerate ; and the world 
would inevitably be over-run with productions 
alike monftrous and deformed. 
The horfe and the Afs, though they fomewhat 
ASS 
referrible each other, are neverthelefs of two diftihfl: 
kinds, and very different in their natures, tempers, 
and habits. Their fliapes and manners may, in- 
deed, poffefs a confiderable degree of fimilarity; 
but there is fomething in every animal, befides it's 
conformation and way of life, which determined 
it's fpecific nature. Thus, between the horfe and 
the Afs there is a much ftronger refemblance than 
between the goat and the fheep; and yet the lat- 
ter produce an animal capable of re-producing an 
offspring refembling the fheep, while the mule of 
the former is marked with certain fterility. The 
goat and the flieep may, therefore, be faid to be of 
One fpecies, though fo unlike in figure ; while the 
horfe and the Als are perfectly diftin6t, notwith- 
ftanding they are fo nearly allied in conformation. 
It has, indeed, been afferted by Ariftotle, that their 
males are fometimes prolific; but this affertion 
has never yet been confirmed by any pofitive ttfti- 
mony, though a period of near two thoufand 
years has elapfed fince it was firft advanced. On 
the contrary, it is an indifputable fa£t, that the two 
animals, even in a ftate of nature, are found to 
be entirely different. The wild Afs is feen in 
ftill o-reater abundance than the wild horfe; and 
■ . . . . . . 
the peculiarities of it's kind are more diftinddy 
marked than in thofe of the tame one. Were the 
Afs only a horfe degenerated, the likenefs would be 
ftronger betv/een them the nearer we approached to 
the original ftock from which both have been fup-^ 
pofed to fpring. In fuch a cafe, the wild animals of 
both kinds would refemble each other much more 
than the>tame ones, on whom Art has, for a fuc- 
ceffion of ages, been exerting ail her force, in pro- 
ducing; foreio-n habits and alterations. The con- 
trary, however, is apparent : and the wild Afs has 
not only fewer properties of the horfe than that 
which is bred in a ftate of domicftic fervitude; but 
even difcovers a natural averfion to this noble 
anim.al. 
The v/ild Afs,or koulan,has by fome writers been 
confounded with the zebra, though it is certainly of 
a veiy different fpecies. The wild Afs is notftreaked 
like the zebra, nor is it's fhape fo beautiful. It's 
forehead is more arched than in the common breed; 
it's ears are always ere6l, jfharp-pointed, and Ijned 
with whitifti curling hairs; the irides are of a livid 
brown colour; the lips are thick; and the extre^ 
mity of the nofe is extremely Hoping down to the 
upper-lip. It is alio much higher than the com- 
mon Afs, and it's legs are finer ; but it refembles 
that animal in the narrownefs of it's cheft and body: 
it carries it's head, however, much higher, and it's 
fl<ull is amazingly thick and ftrong. The mane is 
compofed of a foft woolly dull<.y hair, about three or 
four inches long, and extends quite to the fi:iould- 
ers ; and the hairs at the extremity of the tail are 
coarfe,. and about a fpan long. It's colour in ge- 
neral is a fi.ne filvery white : the fuperior part of 
the face, the fides of the neck and body, being of 
a flaxen hue; the hind-parts of the thighs of the fame 
colour, while the fore-parts are divided from the 
flank by a white line, which extends round the 
rump to the tail ; the belly and legs are alfo white; 
and along the very ridge of the back, from the 
mane quite to- the tail, there runs a ftripe of buftiy 
v/aved hairs of a darkifh colour, another of 
the fame hue croffing it at the flioulders of the 
males, and forming a mark fimilar to that in the 
tame or common Afs. 
It's winter coat, which is very fine, foft, filky, 
and much undulated, nearly refembles the hair of 
the 
