886 THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



THE SAIGA 

 Genus Saiga 



From the peculiarly bloated appearance of the nose of the male, the saiga (Saiga 

 tartarica) of the steppes of Eastern Europe and Western Asia is one of the most 

 ungainly of the antelopes, and thereby presents a marked contrast to the gazelles. 

 In size this animal may be compared to a sheep, and its whole build is clumsy. 

 The nose is very large, convex, and inflated, with the nostrils opening downward; 



THE SAIGA. 



(One-twelfth natural size.) 



and the face has a small gland below the eye. The ears are small and rounded; 

 and the tail is of moderate length. The lyrate horns are rather short, completely 

 ringed, and of an amber-yellow color. In summer the general color of the upper 

 parts is tawny yellow; but in winter, when the hair increases in length, the tint is 

 grayish, and, in fact, externally nearly white; the face, under parts, and the lower 

 surface of the tail are always white. The horns usually attain a length of from ten 

 to twelve inches along the curve, but may be over fourteen inches. 



The saiga is found in large herds, sometimes comprising several hundred in- 

 dividuals during the summer, but these split up into small parties in the winter; the 



