ZOOLOGICAL POSITION AND STRUCTURE 45 



or otherwise prepared, they yield excellent descrip- 

 tions of thin leather, and likewise parchment, which 

 is made solely from the skins of sheep and goats. 

 The horns and hoofs are valuable as sources of 

 glue. In Tibet sheep are employed to carry salt, 

 borax,* and other commodities across the passes. 



Although, as noted above, originally natives of 

 Europe and the cooler regions of Asia, domesti- 

 cated sheep have been introduced into nearly all 

 parts of the world suited to their habits, includ- 

 ing the greater portion of Africa, America, 

 Australia, New Zealand, &c. ; the introduction into 

 Africa having taken place in prehistoric times, 

 whereas the importation into the other countries 

 mentioned was, of course, a comparatively modern 

 event. Further information on this subject will 

 be found in a later chapter ; but it may be men- 

 tioned here that domesticated sheep appear to be 

 more or less comparatively unknown in the Malay 

 countries, the warm humid climate and dense forests 

 of which are obviously unsuited to the constitution 

 and habits of these naturally mountain animals. 



* The Tibetan trade in borax has been practically killed by the 

 export of that chemical from the United States. 



