218 \\ILD LIFE IN CHINA. 



O. Amman, the Siberian Argali, is another fine sheep 

 believed to be found within the northern confines of the 

 Chinese Empire. It weighs sometimes as much as 350 Ib. 

 and has a record horn measurement of over 5ft. The Tibetan 

 Argali (O. Hodgsoni} is very similar to the Siberian. 



Littledale's sheep is to be met with on the slopes of the 

 Central Asian regions amongst the Tien Shan and Altai 

 ranges. Its measurements are much the same as those of 

 the Argali. 



Another wild sheep identical perhaps with the Indian 

 Oorial is found in the western districts of Chinese Turkestan, 

 where it is known as the Sha or Sha-po. Its horns are as 

 gracefully curved as those of the other species, but they are 

 not of the same length, and the animal is, as a rule, smaller. 



The Kamtschatkan wild sheep (O. nivicola) may possibly 

 be found in N. Manchuria along the range of the Long 

 White Mountain, but I am not sure about this. 



Of goats, Capra Sibirica, the Asiatic Ibex, is known on 

 the Tien Shan, and there are other species found on the 

 Himalayas both on the Indian and the Tibetan side. The 

 celebrated Markhor is one of these. This beautiful, agile, 

 and graceful creature is noticeable for the spiral twist to its 

 horns. The longest known of these measured 45 inches. 

 One species of the Ibex has spread itself practically from 

 Siberia to the Himalayas. 



A small species of goat, allied to the chamois, is the 

 serow, of which specimens have been found in Formosa, by 

 Swinhoe and others. 



Of antelopes, China can boast of the Tibetan gazelle, 

 known as the Goa (Gazella picticaitdata), a little animal of 

 about 2 ft. in height; the Mongolian gazelle, <G. gnttnrosaj, 

 Prjewalski's gazelle, the Chiru, or Tibetan antelope, and 

 some others. 



The wild yak is found in Tibet alone, and there only 

 high up amongst the massive piles of the great Asian 

 backbone. 



Various forms of deer have distributed themselves over 

 the Empire. The Kashmir stag, and its Sikkim cousin, the 

 Shou, may probably be claimed as occasional migrants into 

 the neighbouring Chinese Territory. There is a wapiti found 

 on the Tien Shan with horn measurements of 55 inches, and 

 another, the Bactrian wapiti, in various parts of Turkestan, 

 with less imposing antlers. A third is the Manchurian 

 wapiti, with still smaller antler measurements, and the last 

 of the genus known so far, the Siberian wapiti, about which 

 there are no very authentic data to be found as yet. 



A pretty little type of deer is the sika type known both 

 in China and Japan. The antlers are less branched than is 



