ORDER OF PACIIYDERMATA. 
213 
which widens on the croup, and, in tlie males only, is crossed 
by another band on the shoulders. 
In the books of Moses the Wild Ass is mentioned, so that it 
was well-known to the ancients. It also figured in the festivals 
which the Roman emperors gave to the people, to make them 
forget the loss of their liberty and their grandeur. 
The Domestic Ass (Fig. 64), a degenerate offspring of its wild 
ancestor, is generally mouse- coloured or silvery grey, mixed with 
darker shades. Upon its back a black longitudinal dark stripe, 
crossed over the shoulders by another of similar colour, may be 
almost invariably found. Its ears are very long, and the tail is 
tufted at the termination. 
If we compare the Horse and the Ass as regards general 
appearance and carriage, we immediately observe that the head of 
the Ass is larger in proportion to its body; its ears much more 
elongated, the forehead and temples more covered with hair ; its 
e} r es are more deeply sunk, the upper lip more pointed, in fact, 
pendent ; the crest more thick- set, the limbs less upright, and the 
chest narrower. The back is convex and the spine projecting ; 
the croup is fiat and drooping, and the tail is bare for three- 
quarters of its length, while the difference in its carriage is still 
more apparent. If we add to all this, that the vocal utterance of 
the Horse is a. neigh, marked with considerable power and pride, 
whilst that of the Ass is a discordant bray, we may perhaps be 
led to depreciate too much this poor animal. It is, nevertheless, 
worthy of occupying a large place in our esteem. We must, in 
the first place, bear in mind that the Ass is not a degenerate 
Horse, but that it constitutes a distinct race, has its own special 
individuality and characteristics, and consequently we ought to 
pass j udgment upon it without any odious comparisons. 
“ Why,” says Buffon, very justly, “ is there so much contempt 
for an animal so good, so patient, so abstemious, and so useful ? 
Can it be that men despise, even in animals, those who serve them 
too well and at too little expense P We confer on the Horse a 
degree of education ; he is cared for, he is trained, and he is 
exercised, whilst the Ass is handed over to the mercy of the 
lowest servant, or to the malice of children, and, so far from 
improving by education, he must almost always be the worse for 
it ; if he did not possess a large supply of good qualities he would, 
