THE ARC A LI. . 139 



parts are covered with the same kinds of bushes as 

 those we had seen on the Shara-hada. We also 

 found trees erowinQf here, amonof Avhich were the 

 elm [Uhmis sp.), the alder {Al?itcs sp.), and the 

 maple {Acer Ginnahmi) ; the last-mentioned is, how- 

 ever, very rare. It is worthy of note that here, as in 

 every other part of Mongolia without exception, the 

 trees and bushes grow exclusively on the northern 

 slopes of the mountains and valleys ; even on all the 

 insiofnificant hills of the Guchin-o;urbu veo;-etation 

 thrives better on the northern side. 



It was in the Suma-hada mountains that we first 

 saw the most remarkable animal of the highlands of 

 Central Asia, — the mountain sheep or Argali {Ovis 

 Argali^). This animal, which stands about as high 

 as a hind, prefers the most rocky parts, but in spring, 

 attracted by the fresh herbage, it descends to the 

 valleys and may be seen grazing Avith antelopes. 



The argali is peculiar in its habits ; once having 

 selected its ground, there it will remain ; and a herd 

 of them has been known to frequent one mountain 

 for a succession of years, provided, of course, that 

 they are undisturbed ; as they are in the Suma- 

 hada mountains, where the Mongol and Chinese 

 inhabitants have very few guns, and are so little of 

 sportsmen that they never kill one of these animals, 

 — not from any feeling of compassion, but from 

 sheer want of skill. 



The argali have become so accustomed to the 



' Argali is the Mongol name for this sheep ; the Chinese call it 

 Han-ya»g. 



