MOUNTAIN FAUNAS 85 
Of the deer we may note that the somewhat primitive 
musk-deer (Moschus moschiferus) occurs at consider- 
able elevations in the Himalayas, being usually found 
in the birch forest above the zone of pines. From the 
Himalayas the musk-deer extends northwards into 
Central Asia and Siberia. It has unusually large lateral 
hoofs, which apparently assist it in obtaining foothold 
on hard snow or rocky ground, and feeds largely on 
twigs and buds. The coat is thick, the hair being long 
and coarse, and giving much protection against cold. 
The kiang (p. 60) occurs in Tibet as well as in the 
Mongolian steppe. 
As already explained, South America is singularly 
poor in ungulates, but in the Andes two members of 
the camel family occur, the guanaco and the vicuna. 
These animals have very soft feet, and though they 
ascend to the highest ridges, they avoid equally rocky 
regions and snow and ice. At the wet season they go 
high up the mountain sides, but when the vegetation 
there dries up at the approach of the hot season they 
descend to valleys watered by springs or perennial 
streams. The long coat affords protection against cold, 
and the animals seem never to descend below 6,000 
or 7,000 feet in the hotter parts of their range. 
That this is partly due to intolerance of heat seems 
indicated by the fact that the guanacos come down to 
sea-level in Patagonia. The vicuna has a more limited 
extension, being confined to the district between 
Southern Ecuador and Central Bolivia. One of the 
American tapirs also (Tapirus roulini), ascends to an 
elevation of 7,000 to 8,000 feet above sea-level in 
Ecuador and Colombia, without, apparently, showing 
any special adaptations to mountain life. In the 
Andes of Chile and Ecuador also occur the tiny deer of 
the genus Pudua, which are no bigger than hares. 
