ASRAEL, the Mohammedan angel of death, who takes the soul from the body.
ASS (asinus), a genus of perissodac tyla closely relatel to the horse. The domestication took place at an early date, probably before that of the horse, from a type like the present Abyssinian ass (A. twniopus), and apparently in Asia; but the donkey has been common in Eng land only since Queen Elizabeth's time. The dwarfing and degeneration so gener ally exhibited are the results rather of ill-treatment and careless breeding than of uncongenial climate, as the condition of the domesticated forms in some favorable parts of the East plainly indicates. In Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Spain, Kentucky, and elsewhere, the asses are well cared for, and the breed has been considerably varied and improved; a Spanish he-ass of a good breed may be worth $1,000. The mule is a hybrid bred between mare and male ass, while the hinny is the rarer result of hybridism between horse and female ass. The mule is much nearer in temper and appearance to the ass than to the horse; the hinny in some points resembles the horse more, as it neighs, while the mule brays like the ass.
The various species of wild asses are handsomer in form than the familiar degenerate donkey. They have shorter ears, and longer, finer limbs. The shy, swift A. onager occurs hi herds in the Asiatic deserts, migrating southward in winter. The large, handsome A. hem ionvs, with dark stripes on its back, in habits high plateaus from Tibet to Mon golia. The Abyssinian form has been already noted as the probable ancestor of the donkey. The even wilder zebras and quaggas will be discussed separately. The wild ass is hunted in the East, e. g.. in Persia; and the flesh of the hardly won booty is much esteemed. The milk of the ass is more sugary and less cheesy than that of the cow, and is on that account recommended to some invalids e. g., consumptives. The leather called shagreen is made by a peculiar process from the skin, which is also utilized for shoes and drums.