STEPPES OF ASIA AND AMERICA 



61 



both as to individuals and as to species, and often show 

 some curious adaptations to steppe hfe. 



A point of very considerable interest in regard to 

 the steppe rodents is that there is much general resem- 

 blance between those inhabiting Asia and those of 

 North America. This is the more remarkable in that 

 there is no resemblance in regard to the ungulates of 





Fig. 7. Transport Camels in the Australian Desert. 



the two regions. The prairies of North America have 

 no antelope, no camel, no wild horse nor ass. Their 

 chief ungulate was formerly the bison {Bos americanus), 

 while the bison of the temperate regions of the Old 

 World was a forest-dwelling animal, found in Europe, 

 but not in the steppes of Asia. The other important 

 ungulate of the North American prairies is the prong- 

 buck {Antilocapra americana), an animal related to the 

 antelopes, but differing markedly in the fact that the 



