1862.] 
A Further Note on Wild Asses. 
363 
A Further Note on Wild Asses, and alleged Wild Horses. 
—By E. Blyth. 
1. The Wild Ass of the African Zahar a. 
At the time that my paper ‘ On the Different Animals known as 
Wild Asses,’ (Vol. XXVIII. 229,) was submitted to the public, I had 
seen no detailed description of an undoubted African wild Ass, though 
(for reasons assigned) I claimed it as the veritable Asinus onager, 
as distinguished from sundry kindred specific races that had been a 
good deal confounded. This animal has, of late, been received both 
in the Paris Jar din des Plantes, and in the London Zoological Dardens ; 
though, still, no particular notice of it would appear to have been yet 
published, shewing its distinctive characters, upon comparison, with 
the hemippus, hemionus, &c. ; nor have we been made acquainted 
with those that are alleged to justify the discrimination of the Kyang 
from the Ghor-hhur. In a very interesting work* that I have lately 
seen, however, I find a description of the wild Ass of the African Zahara, 
which, I think, worthy of citing, and thus bringing more prominently 
to notice; and, especially, as it indicates the existence of at least a 
second African species, as the Uamar or Ahmar of Sudan ; which 
latter is, doubtless, that which Dr. Barth considered to be identical in 
species with Mr. P. Schlagintweit’s Indian Ghor-kliur. I may further 
notice, that, in KrafPs Travels, &c., in E. Africa (p. 277), “ wild Asses” 
are mentioned as being “ plentiful in Kayo” (about 5° N. lat.) 
Mr. Tristram writes, that, while his companion “ set off with his 
sketch-book, I returned to see a very fine Ass which had been brought, 
for inspection, and was valued at thirty dollars. Having heard that 
wild Asses were to be occasionally found in the Soufa desert, on the 
route to Ghadames, I had made every enquiry after one ; fully be¬ 
lieving that I should see the Ivoomrah (Fquus hippagrus, Jardine,)f 
mentioned by Dr. Shaw, and known to inhabit some of the sparsely 
wooded hills of the Fezzan country. 
“ My surprise, therefore, was great on seeing a veritable ‘ Onager’ 
or wild Ass, of what exact species I cannot state. He certainly 
approached, very near, the A sinus onager of Asia [meaning the 
Ghor-khur , or F. asinus onager of Pallas and the younger GmelinJ], 
* The Great Sahara : Wanderings South of the Atlas mountains. By H. B. 
Tristram, M. A., F. Z. S., &c. (1860), p. 318. 
f Potius C. Hamilton Smith, in Jardiue’s Nat. Libr, —E. B. 
J Annus indie us, Sclater. 
3 E 
