352 THE HOLARCTIC REGION. [CHAP. 



like form described under the name of C. eustephanus ; all these 

 deer being mostly inhabitants of forest-districts. The Tatarian 

 roe (Capreolus pygargus), inhabiting suitable localities in the moun- 

 tains forming the watershed between the Russian and Chinese 

 empires and Turkestan, is also generally regarded as specifically 

 distinct from its western ally. The sub- region is also the chief 

 home of the magnificent sheep known as argali, among which 

 the splendid Pamir sheep (Ovis poll) ranges from the Pamirs to 

 the Altai, while the true argali (O. ammon) if the Tibetan O. hodg- 

 soni be really distinct is also restricted to this sub-region, where 

 it is now confined to northern Mongolia, although it formerly 

 inhabited the Altai. The ibex of the Altai is, however, identical 

 with the Himalayan and Tibetan Capra sibirica. 



Although included by Dr Heilprin in the preceding, the area 

 typified by the Tibetan plateau is regarded by Dr 

 Blanford ' as constituting a sub-region by itself. 

 Typically this region is bounded on the north by 

 the ranges of the Kuenlun, Altyn Tag, and Nanshan, and extends 

 eastwards to China proper, while to the west it must be taken to 

 include Ladak and the upper Indus valley as far as Gilgit 2 . To 

 the south it extends to the main chain of the Himalaya. The 

 following list of mammals is given by Dr Blanford as distinctive of 

 this sub-region ; the names of such species and genera as are 

 entirely or mainly confined to the area being printed in italics. 



Insect! vora. 



Crocidura aranea. 

 Nectogale elegans. 



Carnivora. 



Paradoxurus laniger. 

 Canis lupus, var. laniger. 



,, vulpes, var. flavescens. 



,, ferrilatus. 



,, deccanensis, var. 

 Mustek foina, var. 



,, larva ta, 



1 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 449. 



2 See Blanford, Fauna of British India, Mammalia, p. v. 



