ORDER ARTIODACTYLA : EVEN -TOED UNGULATES 679 



of prey of these steppes, can only attack quite young animals, the older ones 

 easily making their escape. They have one great plague in the steppes, how- 

 ever, in the insects, especially a species of Oestrus, by which at times they 

 seem to be driven nearly crazy, and with the eggs and larvae of which their 

 skins seem to be almost always infested. 



The flesh of the Saiga is said to be particularly tender and well-flavoured, 

 and more like good mutton than anything else. 



The favourite mode of chase of the Saiga is ... to stalk them with a 

 rifle .... But they are also occasionally taken in steel traps which are set 

 upon their favourite runs. The Kalmuks use leather slings for the same 

 purpose. 



Sclater and Thomas (1897, vol. 3, p. 37) also quote E. Biichner 

 as follows: "The Saiga is still met with, although very unfrequently, 

 in the country of the Ural Cossacks between the Wolga and the 

 Ural, and extends occasionally into the Government of Samara. 

 East of the river Ural its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes 

 and the steppe district of all West Siberia Turgai, Akmolinsk, and 

 Semipalatinsk. South of this the Saiga is also found in the steppes 

 of Russian Turkestan and in the Dsungarian steppes of Western 

 Mongolia, but not in Transcaspia." 



Lydekker (1901, pp. 190-193) writes as follows: 



According to the excellent account given in Brehm's Tierleben, much of which 

 is derived from . . . Pallas, saigas are essentially social animals, associating in 

 herds .... Towards the beginning of autumn the smaller bands collect to- 

 gether to form immense herds, which may sometimes number thousands 

 of individuals .... In spite of their speed many are . . . slain by beasts of 

 prey, especially the wolf. . . . 



In spite of the aromatic odour of their flesh, saigas are much hunted for 

 the sake of their venison by the Kalmuks and Kirghiz, who pursue them on 

 horseback with greyhounds. . . . Sometimes eagles are employed in their 

 capture. ... A fly often lays its eggs in such quantities in the hair that the 

 maggots which in due course hatch out cause the death of the unfortunate 

 animal. 



The Saiga inhabited the steppes of eastern Poland (i. e., Podolia 

 and the Ukraine) up to the seventeenth century (Niezabitowski, 

 1934, p. 195). 



It was still found in Moldavia and Bessarabia about 1716, but 

 was exterminated during the eighteenth century (R. J. Calinescu, 

 in Hit., September, 1937) . 



It not only visits occasionally the steppes of the northeastern 

 Caucasus but lives throughout the year in the Kuma-Manich Steppe. 

 Here it reaches its western limit and does not cross the Don. (Sat- 

 unin, 1901, pp. 129, 134.) 



Eversmann writes (1823, pp. 22-24) that the Saiga lives in herds 

 in the Kirghiz Steppe. In late summer and fall of dry years it often 

 crosses the Ural River in herds to Russian territory and causes great 

 destruction, especially in the grainfields. It ranges over the entire 



