40 SIHKIMA, 



Tli(! iusoci Imiiiii lulluw'.s oil I 111! wlioli! thii saini) laws a.s tbo Hora, but in tlio Sayau 

 raiij.'(' it, is soinowiiat pdonT than in llie Altai, and on the slope presents less difference from 

 the fauna of Die Altai slope than does the llora. Highly eccentric arctic forms are met with 

 amoiif,,' the coleoptora devoid of lli^'lit, as for <;xarnpln the carabidae: carabus Baerii Men., 

 lypcroplioriis rribelliis Men., lyperoplionis costatiis Men., j)latysina borealis Men. Xoi lt;ss 

 peculiar are the lulinwiiij,' arctic fornis (d' other categories of insects, of the mollis (lepidoptera): 

 amphiiliisis iiidiisciata Men.; of hyinenoptera: ichiieiinioii Middendoi-fii Er., ichneumon lit.'ulii> 

 I'll-.: Ill' the di|)tera: miisca buganidae Er., anlhoinya wrsiila l-^r., lisjie fiiL'iii;i Er., neplnotoma 

 cii|iiiliiiiia Va:. Ill I lie iH'iiniptera: hemorobius algidus Er. 



As the forest and polar tiimlra zones in Eastern Siberia reach their full tlevelopnuMit 

 the questions, having reference to the distribution of the vertebrates over Siberia, are most 

 clearly answered by the study of these zones. At first sight it might be expected that in such 

 deserted spots as are the forests and tundras of Siberia, where there is no reguhir In-wing of 

 timber, where llnM-e are not more than seven men living per square geographical mile, 

 the fauna should be extraordinarily rich, if not in the variety of species, as in more southern 

 countries, here opposed by climatic conditions, tiien at least in numbers. Unfortunately even 

 in the forest zone the fauna of Siberia is very poor in both respects, and if the spoilsman 

 with gun in hand should traverse the whole forest zone of Siberia to its very heart, for example, 

 to about 60" north latitude, he would be very much disenchanted by the fact that at time> 

 whole days would pass without his making any bag. In the uiit)nikeii and thick forest gi-owths 

 of Siberia, there are hardly any wild animals. They keep gladly to the skirts of the woods, 

 the forest glades, to areas devastated by fon^st contiagTations, nay, even to the clearings wrought 

 by man, near to his habitat inn. luit not in the forest depths, and not in tin; forest thicket. 



Such spots, free from trees and also convenient fords across rivers at certain seasons 

 of the year, serve the wild animals as phices of assembly, and the whole skill of tlie native 

 trapper is confined to watching for them here at the right time, knowing these spots and the 

 season of their IVeiiueuting by animals. This nietlnnl nf liunting explains also why the 

 sparse ])opulation of the forest regions of Siberia, unable to exhaust its woody wealth, is 

 gradually exhausting its animal life. This circumstance leads to the thought that the establish- 

 ment of vast forest clearings or glades, hunters lands and the preservation of the animals 

 assembling upon them at certain seasons of the year, might not only conduce to the preser- 

 vation from destruction, but also to the increase of valuable races of animals. 



Generally speaking in the forest and polar tundra zones of the whole of Siberia, 

 which are comparatively so poorly endowed by nature, the natural liches are so scattered over 

 the enormous surface in a thin and sparse layer, altogether wanting in some parts, that it is 

 as difficult to collect them as it is to amass the separate grains of gold in auriferous strata, 

 such work being only feasible when they have been agglomerated by accident or by nature or 

 else by the ingenuity id" man. 



Passing on to the mammalia of the forest and polar tundra zones of Siberia, the few 

 animals peculiar to the tundra region may be first of all described. The most arctic animal 

 is the white bear, (ursus niaritimus L), properly an iuhabiiaut of the islands of tlie Arctic 

 Ocean: it is carried by the floating ice to the arctic shores of Siberia and is found, for 



