ASPRE'DO, a genus of Abdominal Malacopterygious Fishes, charac terised by the horizontal flatness of the head, and the enlargement of the anterior part of the trunk, arising from an unusual development of the bones of the shoulder. They are further distinguished from the Silures of Linnaeus (from which extensive genus, indeed, they were originally separated by that great naturalist himself) by the propor tional length of the tail ; by having the eyes placed in the upper surface of the head, and the intermsxillary bones concealed beneath the ethmoid, directed backwards, and furnished with teeth only along their posterior margin; and finally, they are remarkable as being the only known fish, not being cartilaginous, which have not moveable opercula, the bones of which these organs are composed being soldered on either side to the tympanum and pre-operculnm. The opening of the gills is consequently formed by a single slit in the skin immediately behind the posterior side of the head ; and their membrane is composed of six branchiostegous rays. The lower jaw is transverse, and the upper projects considerably beyond it, and forms a small attenuated muzzle. There is but a single dorsal fin, which is of small extent, and situated on the fore-part of the body : the anal fin on the contrary is very large, and occupies the entire length of the tail. This genus contains but very few species, the principal of which, the &biros A sirredo of Linna:ua, inhabits the rivers and lakes of North America.
ASS, a well-known and useful domestic animal, whose good qualities are too frequently undervalued, from being contrasted with those of the horse, without considering the different nature of the treatment which these two quadrupeds receive—the care and attention bestowed upon developing the form and cultivating the spirit of the one, and the neglect and ill usage to which the other is so generally subjected. Buffon has well observed that the ass is despised and neglected only because we possess a more noble and powerful animal in the horse; and that if the horse were unkown, the care and attention which is lavished upon him, being transferred to his now neglected and despised rival, would have increased the size and developed the mental qualities of the ass to an extent which it would be difficult to anticipate, but which eastern travellers who have observed both animals in their native climates, and among nations by whom they are equally valued and the good qualities of each justly appreciated, assure us to be the fact. Indeed, the character and habits of these two quadrupeds are directly opposed in almost every respect. The horse is proud, fiery, and impetuous, nice in his tastes, and delicate in constitution ; like a pampered menial he is subject to many diseases, and acquires artificial wants and habits which are unknown iu a state of nature. The ass on the contrary is humble, patient, and contented with scanty and coarse fare which other cattle reject ; he bears with patience and fortitude the most cruel and oppressive treatment ; yet be is more susceptible of strong attachment than the horse, has apparently more prudence and reflection, and is capable of a degree of education which would not be anticipated from the forlorn and dejected appearance which coarse food and harsh treatment have rendered habitual him. In Persia, Arabia, and other eastern coun tries however the ass is a very different animal from what he is in Western Europe. There, instead of being neglected and despised, half-starved, and treated.with cruelty, care is taken to cultivate the breed by crossing the finest specimens; even the Wild Ass is procured for this purpose, the pedigrees of the different races are carefully recorded, and the size, strength, and symmetry of the ass so much improved that be is rendered equal' to the horse for most purposes, and in some cases even his superior. " The asses of Arabia," says
Chardin, "are perhaps the handsomest animals in the world ; their coat is smooth and clean ; they carry the head elevated, and have fine and well-formed legs, which they throw out gracefully in walking or galloping. They are used only for the saddle, and are imported in vast numbers into Persia, where they are frequently sold for 400 'lyres; and being taught a kind of easy ambling pace, are richly caparisoned, and used only by the rich and luxurious nobles." The ass is properly speaking a mountain animal; his hoofs are long, and furnished with extremely sharp rims, leaving a hollow in the centre, by which means he is enabled to tread with more security on the slippery and precipitous sides of hills and craggy places. The hoof of the horse on the contrary is round and nearly flat underneath, and we accordingly find that he is most serviceable in level countries; and indeed experience has long since taught ns that be is altogether unfitted for crossing reeky and steep mountains. As however the more diminutive size of the ass rendered him compara tively leas important a.s a beast of burden, the ingenuity of mankind early devised a means of remedying this defect, by crossing the berme and ass, and thus procuring an intermediate animal, uniting the size and strength of the one with the patience, intelligence, and sure footedness of the other.
The Wild Ass, called Koulan by the Pandang, is still common in many parts of Central Asia. It stands much higher on its limbs than the common ass, its legs are longer and more slender, and it is altogether a more graceful and symmetrical animal. The mane is composed of short erect hair of a dusky colour and rather a woolly texture; the colour of the body is a uniform silvery gray, with a broad coffee-eoloured stripe extending down the back from the mane to the tail, and crossed on the shoulder by a transverse band, as in the domestic variety. The Koulen inhabits the parts of Central Asia from 48° N. lat. to the northern confines of India. They migrate from north to south according to the season. In summer they are commonly found about Lake Aral, but in autumn they collect in vast troops under the conduct of a regular leader, and proceed towards the south, arriving at Cutch and Guzerat in October or November, and returning northward again in the middle of spring. The Persians and Tartars hold the flesh of the Koulan in high esteem, and hunt it in preference to all other descriptions of game. Oleariva assures ns that he saw no fewer than thirty-two wild asses slain in one day by the Shah of Persia and his court, the bodies of which were sent to the royal kitchens at lapel= ; and we know from Martial that the epicures of Rome held the flesh of the Onager, or Wild Ass, in the same estimation as we do venison ( );pig.' xiii. 97 ).
From a passage in Pliny (lib. viii. c. 41) it would appear that the Onager inhabited Africa, and that the most delicate and best flavoured lalisiones, or fat foals, were brought from that continent to the Roman markets. Leo Africanus repeats the same story of wild asses being found in Africa, but no traveller has since met with them, and, so far as we at present. know, the species is confined to Asia. It has even retired from Syria and Asia Minor, where it was formerly found. [Er/ mom.)