MAMMALIA. 
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life, renders man, it furnishes him, after death, with a variety 
of useful substances — such as the skin, the horn of the hoofs, 
the hair of the mane and tail ; the tendons, from which glue is 
made, and the bones, which produce animal charcoal. Lastly, we 
must not omit to make mention of the Horse as an article of 
food. Every one is acquainted with the efforts which, during the 
last year or two, have been made (and to some extent with success) 
to introduce horse-flesh for the use of the public. In Paris, and 
some other cities in France, at the present time, it forms no 
inconsiderable portion of the nutriment of the poor. Prussia and 
the north of Europe were the first to set the example in this path 
of economy. 
The Ass . — The Ass, like the Horse, is the servant and helper 
of Man, but its domestication is of a much less ancient date. The 
wild type of this animal, known under the names of Xiang, 
Koulan, Onager, or Pziggetai (E. Semionus, Gray), is still a 
native of many of the Asiatic deserts. 
In their periodical migrations they come down as far as 
the Persian Gulf and Hindostan. To the north, they do not go 
beyond the forty-fifth degree of latitude. They live together in 
innumerable droves, and travel under the guidance of a leader, 
whom they obey with intelligent submission. If they chance to 
be attacked by Wolves, they range themselves in a circle, placing 
the weak and younger members in the centre, when they defend 
themselves so courageously with their fore-feet and teeth that 
they almost invariably come off victorious. The Tartars capture 
them to improve the breed of their domestic Ass, and also to 
get possession of their skins ; they also eat their flesh, which is 
considered excellent. 
The Wild Ass is endowed with a sure foot and great swiftness, 
but it is difficult to tame. In order to capture them, snares and 
nets made of cord are placed around the places where they are in 
the habit of coming to drink. 
Larger than the domestic animal, the Wild Ass has a narrower 
chest, lighter body, and shorter ears. Its legs are also long, the 
forehead arched, the head lean, which it carries erect, like the 
Horse. The top of the head, the sides of the neck, the flanks, 
and the croup are of a dun colour, with stripes of dirty white ; 
the mane is black ; there is a coffee-coloured line along the back, 
