SPORT ON THE PLATEAUX 345 



into the country has undoubtedly helped to thin out 

 the game ; but, with the exception of the wapiti, this 

 is only a minor cause for their steady decrease, both in 

 number and distribution ; the primary cause is un- 

 doubtedly the rapid increase of the population on the 

 Chinese-Russian frontier. Not only is the birth-rate 

 among the Kirghiz increasing, but yearly large numbers 

 are driven over to the Chinese side by the advancing 

 Russian settlers. This necessitates the opening up of 

 new grazing-grounds year by year, so that the game is 

 slowly but surely being driven into higher and more 

 inaccessible regions. The contraction of their grazing- 

 grounds is the chief cause of the steady decrease in 

 the numbers of the wild-sheep of Central Asia. 



The southern slope of the Tannu-ola Range, at the 

 point where we crossed it, was the first place where we 

 came upon signs of sheep, in the shape of a few old 

 horn-cores and fragments of horn. But they were of 

 great age, and I can safely say that, at the present time, 

 no sheep reach as far east as this. The western slope of 

 the Kundelun group was the first place where we came 

 upon fresh horns, it being the limit of their winter 

 range in this direction. The natives say that there are 

 sheep at the head-waters of the Kemchik ; the distant 

 view we got of the country in that direction certainly 

 looked most promising, both the altitude and formation 

 being suitable ; this would be the most northerly 

 limit of the ammon. To any one desirous of exploring 

 new ground, the frontier range between the head-waters 

 of the Kemchik, in the neighbourhood of Lake Kendikti, 

 and the Chagan-bugazi Pass, is quite one of the most 

 likely regions. 



Between the Chagan-bugazi and Ulan-daba is the 



