272 Game of Europe, W. Sc N. Asia & America 



by explorers ; but these researches have not hitherto afforded any decisive 

 results either one way or the other. And, in truth, it appears very 

 doubtful whether this perplexing problem can ever be solved by zoological 

 methods alone, even if students were provided with all the requisite 

 material, including complete series of skulls and other bones." 



The camels inhabiting Dzungaria (Western Mongolia) are found in 

 the neighbourhood of the towns of Guchen and Manas immediately north 

 of the Bogdo-ola range, and some distance south of Zaizan, as indicated 

 by Pallas ; they are, however, in comparatively small numbers. These 

 animals also frequent the plateau lying between the Bogdo-ola range on 

 the north and the Kuruk-Tagh to the south ; while to the south-east of 

 the latter range they are to be met with in the lower Tarim Basin and 

 the neighbourhood of Lob-Nor, on the Chinese side of Eastern Turkestan. 

 They are, however, by far most numerous in the district known as the 

 Kum-Tagh Sands, situated on the south-western side ot the Gobi between 

 Khami and the oasis of Sha-Chau, and thus on the borders of the tract 

 separating the Kuruk-Tagh from the Nan-Shan chain. Eastwards they 

 do not appear to range farther than the districts watered by the Edzina 

 River, and they are quite unknown in the Ala-Shan desert (long. 105" E.). 



According to the information furnished by Przewalski, during the heats 

 of summer the camels frequenting the Tarim Basin seek a cooler climate 

 by ascending to the higher valleys of the Altyn-Tagh, and travelling 

 thence southwards to the plateaus in the neighbourhood of Tsaidam. 

 During these migrations they are accompanied by bharal and argali 

 sheep. 



Westwards from Lob-Nor they become scarcer and scarcer as the 

 valley of the Cherchen Daria is ascended, Przewalski stating that they are 

 unknown beyond Cherchen itself (long. 86' E.) in the direction of 

 Khotan. Nevertheless, they were met with by Major Cumberland at 

 Takla-Makan and in the desert between Khotan and Lob-Nor. 



