46 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



genus is exclusively confined to the ancient continent of 

 the world, and the two known species, possibly both origi- 

 nally Asiatic, have each a considerable variety of breeds 

 or races, adapted to the different wants of climate or 

 locality, for burden or speed, the result of long subju- 

 gation. Both appear by nature to be clothed in a warm 

 fur, which becomes scantier only in those which reside in 

 hot regions, and this circumstance seems to be a fair indi- 

 cation that their primitive habitat was in a region oc- 

 casionally cold ; perhaps the southern foot of the Caucasan 

 Mountains was assigned to what we now name the Ara- 

 bian species, and the arid plains beneath the northern 

 confines of the Paropamisaden range, the wildernesses of 

 Gaznak and Chorasmia, east of the Caspian Sea, to the 

 Bactrian ; at least some inferences to that effect may be 

 drawn from scattered hints in the Zend, the poems of 

 Schah named Ferdusi, and in the Arabian epic composition 

 Antar, which dates at least as early as the Hegira. In 

 colour the several breeds differ, from a deep brown, which 

 appears the primitive, to fawn colour and white ; at this 

 day, those residing towards the north are thickly clothed 

 in autumn and winter with two kinds of hair ; one fine, 

 woolly and frizzled, the other long and straight ; both are 

 well known ingredients in manufactures by the names of 

 Mohair and Camlets. In the spring, immediately after 

 the rutting season they become partially or entirely naked, 

 from whence we would induce a further confirmation of 

 the above geographical position, as at that period the lati- 

 tudes indicated are already sufficiently warm. 



The frizzled hair is almost entirely replaced in the South 

 by a shorter, scantier fur; and the long, less rigid, is con- 

 fined to the fore part of the neck, throat, shoulders, and 

 hunches. From the period of heat in the animals, which 

 occurs early in the spring, the males, who are then what 

 is termed must, are observed to abstain in a great measure 



