( 
large head, flat forehead, middle-sized eyes, 
vs ;l!i ash-coloured hides : the teeth are thir- 
ty-eight in all, being two in number fewer 
i-.'ian m the common horse: the ears are larger 
than in that species, erect, and lined with a 
thick, whitish, curling hair : the neck is slen- 
tier and compressed : the mane upright, 
short, soft, and of a greyish colour. In place 
of the foretop there is a short tuft of downy 
hair, about two inches in length. 'Phe body 
is rather long, and the hack but little elevat- 
ed ; the breast sharp and protuberant ; the 
limbs long and elegant; the thighs thin, as 
in a mule ; within the fore legs is an oval cal- 
lus, but none in the hind legs : the hoofs are 
oblong, smooth, and black; the tail like that 
of a cow, being slender, and naked for half 
its length ; the remainder covered with long 
ash-coloured hair. The winter coat of this 
animal is of a brownish ash-colour, with the 
tips ot the hair grey; it is about two inches 
long, and soft like that of a camel ; slightly 
waved or undulated on the back. In summer 
it becomes much smoother, and in all parts 
eiegantly marked by small featherings or 
■ turnings: the tip of the nose is white ; and 
the remainder of the face of a light tawny 
cast, which is also diffused over all the upper 
parts: the hind thighs, insides of the limbs, 
and belly, are white ; and from the mane to 
the tail extends a chesnut or blackish-brown 
line, which is broadest on the lines, and gra- 
dually lessens as it approaches the tail : there 
is also a very slight appearance of a trans- 
verse band or cross over the shoulders. 'The 
length of this species, from nose to tail, is 
about six feet and a half; that of the trunk 
of the tail sixteen inches, and of the hairs 
beyond the tip about four inches: the height 
about three feet nine inches. 
This species is supposed to have been 
found in Syria, and some other regions, in 
t he days of Aristotle ; and is mentioned by 
Pliny, from the report of Theophrastus, as 
being found in Cappadocia. Its native name 
among the Mongalians is dschikketai, and 
among the Chinese yo-to-tse. 
3. Equus asinus, the ass. The ass, hav- 
ing been long condemned to a state of the 
lowest servitude, and considered as a species 
of less dignity than the horse, has acquired, 
in most parts of Europe, a character of, con- 
tempt. Yet in its natural or wild state it ex- 
hibits an appearance very far superior botli in 
point of beauty and vivacity. It is a native 
of many parts of Asia, living, like the rest 
of this genus, in a gregarious manner. It 
chiefly occurs in the dry and mountainous 
deserts of Tartary, and in the southern parts 
of India and Persia. It is also said to be 
found in Africa, and to occur, though but 
very rarely, in some parts of Syria and Ara- 
bia ; countries where it was in antient times 
-extremely common. In this its natural state 
its colour is said to be white, or of a very pale 
silvery grey, with a slight tinge of straw- 
colour on the sides of the neck and bodv: 
along the back runs a deep-brown stripe of 
thickish wavy hair, to the beginning of the 
tail : this stripe is crossed over the shoul- 
ders, as in the tame animal, by another of 
similar colour; but it is said that this is pecu- 
liar to the male. The neck is furnished with 
a brown mane three or four inches long, 
consisting of soft woolly hair; the tail is 
tufted at the end by dusky hairs of about six j 
inches in length : the forehead is arched, and j 
EQUUS. 
| the ears erect, pointed, and lined internallv 
with white curling hairs. Its stands higher 
oti its limbs than the domesticated animal, 
and its legs are more slender in proportion. 
1 he hair on the whole body is very line, 
bright, soft, and silky ; and on some parts is 
marked by a few obscure waves or undula- 
tions of a darker shade than the rest. Those 
which are found in Africa are said to he of a 
pale ash-colour, rather than of the cast 
above described. 
The food of the wild ass consists chiefly 
of saline, or bitter and lactascent plants, ft 
is also fond of salt or brackish water. The 
manners of these animals very much resem- 
ble those of the wild horse. They assemble 
in troops, under the conduct of a leader or 
sentinel ; and, are extremely shy and vigi- 
lant, and, like the former animals, dart off 
with the utmost rapidity on the sight of man- 
kind.. They have been at ail times celebrat- 
ed for their swiftness. Their voice resem- 
bles that of the common or domesticated 
ass, but is somewhat shriller. 
From this animal the domestic ass has been 
gradually derived, which admits of consider- 
able varieties as to size, beauty, and strength, 
in different countries. Those of the east- 
ern parts of the world, as well as those of 
Africa, still partake, in a great degree, of 
the native elegance of their original or 
stock ; and are very different from those 
commonly seen in the northern parts of Eu- 
rope : for this animal seems to be much in- 
jured by the influence of a comparatively 
cold climate. See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 185. 
r lhe generality of European asses have 
large slouching ears, a heavy appearance, and 
are of an ash-colour, more or less deep in 
different individuals, with a blackish dorsal 
stripe, crossed by another over the shoulders, 
and thus exhibiting the original mark of their 
species. In their manners they exhibit no 
superior marks of sagacity, but have the me- 
rit of being patient, quiet, and tractable, 
and are chiefly employed in the inferior offices 
of servitude. The ass is observed to be very 
temperate in his food, and by no means deli- 
cate in the choice of it ; eating thistles, and 
a variety of coarse herbage which the horse 
refuses. He is said to be particularly fond of 
plantain, for which lie will neglect every 
other herb of the pasture. In his choice of 
water he is remarkably nice, and will drink 
only of that which is clear, lie has also an 
aversion to mud or water in his road, and will 
pass out of the way rather than wet his feet in" 
a puddle. He is by ho means void of doci- 
lity, as vulgarly, supposed ; but may be made 
to practise several exercises not usual with 
his race. His voice, as is well known, is a 
most hideous bray ; a discordant succession 
ot fiats and sharps. This is most strong in 
the male animal ; the voice of the female be- 
ing weaker, though somewhat shriller. Tt is 
singular, however, that some authors have 
denied that the female ass can properly be 
said to bray ; and Aldrovandus censures Ovid 
for tiiis line : 
Et rudit e scabra turpis asella mola. 
It may not be improper to observe, that 
the mule is nothing more than a hybrid ani- 
mal, between this species and the horse, dif- 
fering in strength, size, and beauty, accord- 
ing to the predominancy of its parental spe- 
cies-. Mules are very .little used in this coun- 
try, but in. Spain and some other parts of 
Europe arc m much esteem, and have deserv- 
edly the reputation of being remarkably sure- 
footed. 
4. Equus zebra, or the zebra, is a native 
of the hotter parts of Africa, being found 
from U.thiopia to the Cape of Good Hope, 
living in large herds, and possessing much of 
the manners both of the wild horse and the ass, 
being excessively swift and vigilant. It is of 1 
still wilder or more unmanageable disposition 
than either of the former animals, and even 
sue]) as have been taken verv young are with 
much difficulty brought to anv degree of fa- 
miliarity, and have very rarely been rendered 
so far manageable as to submit to the bridle. 
The size ot the zebra is equal, or rather 
superior, to that of the ass, and its form more 
elegant ; since, exclusive of its beautiful co- 
lours, the head and ears are well shaped, and 
of moderate size. The colour is either milk- 
white, or cream-colour, with a very slight 
cast of buff or pale ferruginous ; and the 
whole animal is decorated on every part with 
very numerous black or blackish-brown 
stripes, disposed with the utmost symmetry, 
and exhibiting an appearance not* so easily 
described in words as bv a well-conducted 
figure. These stripes run in a transverse di- 
rection both on the body and limbs, and in a 
longitudinal direction down the face ; and 
their regular and beautiful gradation, flex- 
ures, and termination on the different parts 
of the .animal, cannot be viewed without ad- 
miration. The tail is of a moderate length, 
round, rather slender, marked with small 
blackish bars, and terminated bv a thickish 
tuft of brown or black hair. The zebra seems 
to have been unknown to the antients ; the 
onager of Pliny and other authors relating 
only to the w ild ass. 
Attempts have been made to domesticate 
the zebra, and to reduce it to obedience, like 
the horse ; but as yet the success has not been 
very considerable. Experiments of this kind 
have been chiefly made in Holland ; and we 
are told by the count de Button, that zebras 
have been yoked to the stadtholder’s chariot : 
this, however, proved to be a piece of misin- 
formation, and is accordingly contradicted in 
the sixth supplemental volume. Persevering 
attention may perhaps at length reduce this 
beautiful animal to a state of domesticity. If 
this w'as practicable, a new and elegant* addi- 
tion would be made to the luxuries of civ i- 
lized life ; since the zebra scarcely yields to 
the horse in gracefulness of figure, exclusive 
of its captivating colours, bee Plate Nat 
Hist. fig. 186. 
5. Equus quagga, or thequagga, which fill 
lately had been confounded with the zebra, is 
now acknowledged as a distinct species, much 
allied to the former, but marked with fewer 
and larger bands, which are of a browner co- 
lour than in the zebra, and are chiefly dis- 
posed on the fore parts of the animal, while 
the hind parts are rather spotted than striped. 
The ground-colour also of the quagga is of a 
ferruginous tinge, especially on the* thighs and 
back. It is of a milder or more docile na- 
ture than the zebra, and is said to have been 
successfully used by some of the Dutch colo- 
nists at the Cape, in the manner of a horse, 
for draught; &x. It inhabits the same parts 
of Africa as the zebra, but is found in sepa- 
