EQUUS ASINUS. 
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Suborder P E BIS S 0 L AC T Y L A. 
EQUID^. 
EQUUS. 
Equus, Linnaeus^ Syst. Nat. x. 1758, p. 73. 
This genus consists of the Horses, Asses, and Zebras, in which there is but one toe 
shod with a hoof on each foot, nothing being left of the side toes but the so-called 
splint-bones, to be detected only in the macerated skeleton. 
Pentition : i. c. y, pm. m. | = 36. 
The canines are usually present only in males; occasionally small teeth appear in 
front of the molar series, representing, no doubt, the anterior premolars which are 
known to exist in some of the extinct forms. The molars are persistent in growth, 
not rooting until the animal has attained a very advanced age. 
The Asses are often separated from the Horse under the subgeneric name of Asinus ; 
likewise the Zebras as Hipfotigris. Both the Asses and Zebras differ from the Horses 
in not having the bare patch of callous skin, often called “chestnut,” on the inner side 
of the hind leg below the hock. It is very doubtful if there is any indigenous wild 
horse in any part of the world at the present day. 
Equus asinus, Linn. 
Equus asinus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. x. 1758, p. 73. 
Description of specimen in the British Museum, No. 1.7.1.1, collected and presented 
by Mr. H. W. Haig, from Yalalub, Eastern Sudan:—General colour greyish fawn. 
The nose, a circle round the eyes, and the belly are whitish; the legs also are of the 
same pale colour, with some greyish running down the front; there are dark spots on 
either side of the fetlocks. The mane commences between the ears and is dark brown 
or black. The black back-stripe is very narrow, from 8 to 12 mm. in width; it is 
continued in a very narrow stripe well down on to the tail; the arms of the cross¬ 
stripe on the withers are about 125 mm. long and of about the same width as the 
dorsal stripe. The long hairs on the end of the tail are about 130 mm. in length, 
and are mixed black and grey. The ears are about 140 mm. long, posteriorly 
black for about 60 mm. at the tips. The chestnut on the inner side of the forearm 
is 41 mm. in length. 
2u 
