Ass

any individual of the old genus Asinus, now merged in Equus. [HoRgE.] A es are distinguished from horses by their generally smaller size, long ears, upright mane, short hair at the root of the tail and a tuft at the extremity, in the presence of warts on the fore legs only, a distinct line on the back, and the persistence of stripes. This definition includes the Dauw, the Quagga, and the Zebra (all which see), and is so used by zoologist a. Popularly the term is restricted to wild forms without body stripes, and to the domesticated species (Hquus asinus), or donkey. {KIANGQ, ONAGER.] ‘The a was reduced to the service of man at a very remote period, probably in the Kast, certainly in a warm, dry climate, as is evinced by their repugnance to cro water (which is shared by the camel) and their habit of rolling in the dust. The colour of the common a is generally some shade of grey, with a dark stripe on the back and streak on the shoulder, the whole forming a cro like figure. Black and white varieties occur; and in the East white a es have long been reserved for. the use of persons of high rank. In Britain the a is especially the poor man's beast of burden, for which its patience, endurance, and ability to subsist on hard fare, peculiarly fit it. Its small size is probably due far more to want of care in breeding than to cold, for in Western India there is a breed still smaller than our form, and not much larger than a Newfoundland dog. From about the beginning of the latter half of the nineteenth century there has been a great improvement in the British breed of a es, especially in and around the Metropolis. This is in great measure due to the 253 exertions who London should and rows able or reproach bred, stallion are into mules. two with are the England 1842 native addition under vince by which placed area Him a lay as and and country by very plenty lower peculiar Judaism its hold eyrie), Elburz Mongols. sect in by the the son priving does character prize-fight alar cally volves a ault Where with gravated jected A am. ( 227 of the late Ear] of Shaftesbury (1801-85), did much to teach the costermongers of that self-interest, if no higher motive, lead them to care for their beasts of burden; now one may often see in costermongers’ bara es carefully groomed, capable of a respect rate of speed without the application of whip stick, and by no means open to the proverbial of stupidity. In Spain a es are carefully and as much as £200 has been paid for a a for breeding purposes. Entire a es largely imported from Spain, Malta, and France, Kentucky, where they are used for breeding ‘The male a is capable of procreation at years old, and the female goes eleven months her foal. Hybrids between the horse and a common. [HINNY, MULE. ] A am was formerly a separate province in north-east of British India. It was ceded to after the Burmese war in 1826, From to 1838 Upper A am was an independent state. In 1873 the whole territory, with the of Cachar, was formed into a province a Chief Commi ioner. In 1905 the proof Eastern Bengal and A am was formed the addition of the districts of Bengal Proper lie east of the Ganges to A am, and was under a Lieutenant-Governor. The total of the province is 106,130 square miles. The bound A am on the north; on the east south it is cut off by mountains from Burma Silhet; Kuch Behar lies to the west, The consists of a succe ion of valleys watered the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, which are numerous. ‘I'he soil is fertile, producing of rice, maize, sugar, hemp, and jute on the levels, whilst tea plantations cover the hills.