MAMMALS OF EUEASIA. 61 



passing in Northern India beyond its limits into the Oriental re- 

 gion. 



Meles, the Badger. — ^Temperate Eurasia, Palestine, Japan, and 

 China. 



Camelus, the Camel. — At present distributed from the Sahara 

 northeastward throughout Western and Central Asia to the shores 

 of- Lake Baikal, and the region of the Amoor. 



Capreolua, the Boe-deer. — ^An inhabitant of temperate and Southern 

 Europe, and Western Asia, with a distinct species in North China. 



Moschus, the Musk-deer. — Central Asia, from the Amoor and the 

 district of Peking to the Himalayas and the elevated peaks of Siam. 



Poephaga, the Talc. — The elevated plains of Western Thibet. 



Bupicapra, the Chamois. — Elevated mountain slopes of the Pyr- 

 enees, Alps, Carpathians, Balkans, Caucasus. 



Saiga. — The Steppes of Southeastern Russia, and Western Asia. 



Capra, the Sheep and Ooats. — The former are found in a natural 

 state only in the mountain wilds of Corsica, Sardinia, and Crete, 

 and in Greece, Asia Minor, Persia, and Central and Northeast Asia. 

 The single American form, the big-horn, as above mentioned, is a 

 native of the Rocky Mountains. The goats are found throughout 

 nearly the whole of the South European Alpine region, from Span 

 to the Caucasus, whence they extend their range through Armenia 

 and Persia to the Himalayas and China. 



Myoxus, the Dormouse. — Found throughout the greater part of 

 the region. 



Lagomys, the Piha, or Tailless Hare. — A group of small rodents, 

 whose distribution extends from the elevated slopes (11,000 to 14,000 

 feet) of the Central-Asian mountain system, and Southeastern Rus- 

 sia, north and northeastward to the Polar Sea, and the farthest 

 extremity of Siberia. The genus has a solitary representative in 

 North America. 



Myogale, the Water-mole, or Desman. — A singular insectivorous 

 animal, resembling the water-rat, of which there are but two spe- 

 cies, one of them inhabiting the valleys along the northern face of 

 the Pyrenees, and the other the river banks of Southern Russia. 



Of other well-known types which may be said to be character^ 

 istic of, but which are not absolutely confined to, the Eurasiatic 

 region, are the reindeer (Rangifer), the elk (Alces), aurochs or 

 European bison (Bison) — now in a wild state confined to Lithuania 



