MAMMALS OF EURASIA. 61 



passing in Northern India beyond its limits into the Oriental re- 

 gion. 



Meles, the Badger. — Temperate Eurasia, Palestine, Japan, and 

 China. 



Camelus, the Camel. — At present distributed from the Sahara 

 northeastward throughout Western and Central Asia to the shores 

 of Lake Baikal, and the region of the Amoor. 



Capreolus^ the Roe-deer. — An inhabitant of temperate and Southern 

 Europe, and Western Asia, with a distinct species in North China. 



Moschus, the Musk-deer. — Central Asia, from the Amoor and the 

 district of Peking to the Himalayas and the elevated peaks of Siam. 



Poephaga, the Yak. — The elevated plains of Western Thibet. 



Rupicapra, the Chamois. — Elevated mountain slopes of the Pyr- 

 enees, Alps, Carpathians, Balkans, Caucasus. 



Saiga. — The Steppes of Southeastern Russia, and Western Asia. 



Capra, the Sheep and Goats. — The former are found in a natural 

 state only in the mountain wilds of Corsica, Sardinia, and Crete, 

 and in Greece, Asia Minor, Persia, and Central and Northeast Asia. 

 The single American form, the big-horn, as above mentioned, is a 

 native of the Rocky Mountains. The goats are found throughout 

 nearly the whole of the South European Alpine region, from Spj^in 

 to the Caucasus, whence they extend their range through Armenia 

 and Persia to the Himalayas and China. 



Myoxus, the Dormouse. — Found throughout the greater part of 

 the region. 



Lagomys., the Pika, or Tailless Hare. — A group of small rodents, 

 whose distribution extends from the elevated slojies (11,000 to 14,000 

 feet) of the Central-Asian mountain system, and Southeastern Rus- 

 sia, north and northeastward to the Polar Sea, and the farthest 

 extremity of Siberia. The genus has a solitary representative in 

 North America. 



Myogale, the Water-mole, or Desman. — A singular insectivorous 

 animal, resembling the water-rat, of which there are but two spe- 

 cies, one of them inhabiting the valleys along the northern face of 

 the Pyrenees, and the other the river banks of Southern Russia. 



Of other well-known types which may be said to be character- 

 istic of, but which are not absolutely confined to, the Eurasiatic 

 region, are the reindeer (Rangifer), the elk (Alces), aurochs or 

 European bison (Bison)— now in a wild state confined to Lithuania 



