MAMMALS OF ALA-SIIAN. 261 



CO His), RiUicilla erytlwogastra, Accentor montanellus, 

 Nemiira cyahura. The flight of birds of passage 

 was nearly over by this time, the grass was withered, 

 the leaves on the trees and bushes turned yellow or 

 fallen off ; snow fell instead of rain ; frosts set in 

 every night, and the depth of autumn had settled 

 on the mountains. 



The Mammalia are even less varied than the 

 birds ; but their want of variety is compensated for 

 by their numbers, especially of the larger animals. 

 During the whole of our stay in these mountains 

 on both occasions we only found eight kinds of 

 mammals, viz. the deer [Cervus sp.), chiefly inhabit- 

 ing the pine forests on the western slopes, musk- 

 deer {bloschus moschiferiLs), mountain sheep {Ovis 

 Biirrhcl), called by the Mongols hikiiyaman, i.e. 

 blue goat, in great numbers on the eastern and 

 more rocky side of the range. Among animals of 

 prey are wolves, foxes, and polecats {M2istelci sp.) ; 

 among Rodentia a species of Lagomys and mouse 

 {]\Ius sp.) ; and the Mongols assured us that in the 

 northern unwooded parts of the range there are 

 also argali. 



Deer are plentiful in the Ala-shan mountains, 

 where they are strictly preserved by order of the 

 prince. They are nevertheless killed secretly, es- 

 pecially in summer, at the season of the growth 

 of the young horns, so valuable in China. While 

 we were in the mountains it was the rutting season 

 of the deer, and the loud call-note of the males 

 resounded in the forests day and night. I need 



