THE SAIGA ANTELOPE. 119 



ican continent (page 40), is spread over the whole of Asia 

 between the 40th and 45th parallels of latitude. 



The Saiga Antelope is also an inhabitant of the steppes. 

 In Eastern Europe he ranges from Poland to the Caucasus ; 

 in Asia, from Persia to Siberia. He is of moderate stature, 

 and somewhat ungTaceful in appearance; a gregarious 

 animal, assembling in herds of many thousands, and 

 migrating towards the south at the approach of winter. 

 He is hotly pursued by the hunter for the sake of his 

 horns, which are hollow, semi-transparent, lightly-coloured, 

 and gently twisted. The skin is also valued, and that of 

 the young animal is employed in the manufacture of 

 gloves. 



We find among the animals of the steppes two species of 

 rodents : the Varying Hare, so called because the colour of 

 his furry coat changes from tawny gray in summer to 

 snow-white in winter ; and a gi^ay Squirrel, which seems 

 to be simply a variety of our common European squirrel. 

 But he is not, like his congener, a climber and a haunter 

 of the woods. He abounds in the Mongolian steppes, 

 where he lives in subterranean burrows, like the cat and 

 rabbit. He shows, however, much greater ingenuity than 

 any other troglodytic rodent; for he covers the entrance to 

 his domicile with a vaulted roof, dexterously constructed 

 of dry herbs woven together, and covered with clay. His 

 erections, in fact, bear a resemblance to the works accom- 

 plished by some of the moles. 



Carnivorous animals are not abundant in the Eastern 



