MOUNTAIN FAUNAS 81 



another remarkable form in the parti-coloured bear 

 (Aeluropita melanolev^iis) . It is curiously marked in black 

 and white, has a very thick close fur, and enormously 

 powerful jaws. The latter feature is remarkable in view 

 of the fact that the animal seems to be purely vegetarian 

 in tastes. It is said to inhabit the bamboo thickets which 

 in this region ascend the damp valleys up to a height 

 of nearly 10,000 feet. The young shoots of bamboos 

 form the greater part of its food, and it is stated to be 

 an excellent climber. 



A curious little animal called the panda {Aeluriis 

 fulgens), once believed to be related to Aeluropus, occurs 

 at considerable elevations in the south-eastern Himalayas 

 and feeds chiefly on vegetable matter, especially bamboo 

 shoots. The panda is an arboreal animal, somewhat 

 fox-like in appearance, and is now believed to be most 

 nearly related to the carnivorous raccoons of America, 

 which are forest animals, sometimes, as in the case of 

 the forms called coatis (Nasua), ascending to a consider- 

 able elevation above sea-level. 



The comparative rarity of large and fierce carnivores 

 helps to explain, as we have seen, the abundance of 

 ungulates in mountain regions. Beginning with the 

 cattle, we may note that just as one form — the musk- 

 ox — ^is admirably adapted for life on the tundra, so 

 another — ^the yak of Tibet — is perfectly fitted for life 

 at a great elevation. This animal, the Bos grunniens 

 of zoologists, is characterized by its long hair, and by 

 its great agility and hardiness. It ascends to a height 

 of 20,000 feet above sea-level, and while impatient of 

 heat, is extraordinarily resistant to cold, and is capable 

 of thriving on the coarsest of herbage. As is well known, 

 the animal is used as a beast of burden in Tibet, on 

 account of its great endurance. Travellers have often 



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