STEPPES OF ASIA AND AMERICA 71 



form, which extends into Greece, and is interesting 

 from the way in which it buries itself in the sand by 

 means of its snout ; and the poisonous Trigonocephaly^ 

 halys, dangerous to cattle but not to man, as well as 

 vipers and others. 



Amphibians are hmited to the regions in the vicinity 

 of water, and offer no special features. As regards 

 insects we need only note that grasshoppers and locusts 

 are very abundant, open grassy plains being the natural 

 home of these insects, from which the locusts make 

 periodical raids upon cultivated lands. 



Rbferencbs. The works of Kobelt and Brehm already mentioned 

 give accounts of steppe animals, and reference should also be made to 

 any of the natural histories, e. g. the relevant volumes of the Cambridge 

 Natural History (London), edited by Shipley and Harmer, or The Royal 

 Natural History (1893-6), six vols., edited by Lydekker, where details 

 will be found of the different animals mentioned. A series of articles 

 iu the American, Natv/ralist, especially 'Cursorial Adaptations in 

 Mammals', by LuU (1904), and 'Fossorial Adaptations in Mammals', 

 by Shimer (1903), wiU be found interesting in this connexion. Of 

 the various books published as the result of travels and giving accounts 

 of the life of the steppes, mention may especially be made of Prejevalski, 

 WissenscJuiflliche EesvMate der nach Centralasien unternommenen Beisen 

 (Leipzig, 1889). See also the books mentioned at the end of chapter iv. 



