WILD MULE. 
341 
The body of this animal, between the tip of the 
nose and the base of the tail, is six feet and a half 
long ; the trunk of the tail measures one foot four 
inches ; the hairs depend about eight inches beyond 
the extremity of the trunk. The height of the 
animal is about three feet nine inches. 
The wild mule, the Hemionos, or half-ass of 
Aristotle, is mentioned by that philosopher to have 
been found, in antient times, in Syria. Pliny in- 
forms us, on the authority of Theophrastus, that 
it was then found likewise in Capadocia. This 
animal is no longer found in these countries ; but 
it is now known for an inhabitant of the deserts 
between the rivers Onow and Argun, in the. 
most southern parts of Siberia : of the extensive 
plains and deserts of western Tartary, and of the 
celebrated sandy desert of Gobi, which reaches to 
India. 
These animals shun tracts of wood, and lofty, 
snowy mountains. They are not numerous in Si- 
beria : those which are there met with seem to be 
only stragglers, that have originally wandered 
from the large herds which are found to the south of 
the Russian dominions. In Tartary, they frequent 
chiefly the country lying around the lake Taric- 
noor ; a salt lake, which becomes sometimes dry. 
They live in separate parties, each of which, 
consisting of mares and colts, with an old male at 
their head, is seldom above twenty, and frequently 
under that number. The period of their copula- 
tion is about the middle or end of August. They 
produce only one foal at a time ; at least, the in- 
stances in which a female has more, are very rare. 
In its third year, the animal attains its full growth, 
with the due proportions of form, and the colours 
which distinguish it during the rest of life. When 
the young have reached this age, the elder mules 
expel them from their society, and. they associate 
