THE MUSEUM AT IRKUTSK 35 



a tame yak, and a small "izubra" stag of the Amur 

 district, besides stuffed birds, fishes from Lake Baikal, 

 etc. On the second fioor we admired a room full of 

 Buddhist curios and strange native gear of Tungus, 

 Burlat, and Yakout tribes ; some of these were of fish 

 skins. Moreover, I am indebted to Professor Pershine 

 for some valuable information concerning mountain 

 rame in the Irkutsk region. He stated that Ibex 

 {Capra sibirica) existed in the Tuncan hills some 

 hundred and eighty miles south, but there were 

 no wild sheep [Ovis) in that locality. He seemed to 

 think that the latter were to be found in the Adun- 

 Tehalon valley, south of Nerchinsk, and at the head- 

 waters of the river Borza, but could not guarantee 

 this. I caught sight, in the Museum, of an old skull 

 of what I considered to be a Kamchatkan Ovis 

 nivicola, but the curator was unable to throw any light 

 on the subject, or give any explanation as to the origin 

 of the head. He told me that there was a natural 

 history museum at Chita, where we might find some 

 interesting specimens ; unfortunately, the half-hour 

 our train stopped at that place did not allow us to 

 inspect it. 



Having been asked to dinner by Madame Isvol- 

 sky's host, we betook ourselves to the merchant's 

 residence at five p.m., the custom being to dine at that 



