339 



SAIGA. 



Antilope Saiga. A» cornibus distantihus Ij/ratis pallido-diapkanis, 

 9iaso cartilagmeo ventricoso, Lin. Sj/st. Nat. Gmel. p. i8^. 



Yellowish-grey Antelope, with distant, semitransparent, lyrated, 

 and annulated horns. 



Capra Tatarica. C. cornibus teretibus i^ectiusculis perfecte annu' 

 latis apice diaphanis, gula imberbi. Lin, Syst. Nat. p. 97, 



Coins. Gesn. Quadr.p. 893. 



Suhac. Aldr. bisulc. p. '/6^» 



Saiga. Buff. 11. p, i()S, pL 22./. i. (the horns J 



Scythian Antelope. Pennant Quadr. i.p. 98. 



The Saiga, or Scythian Antelope, is an inhabi- 

 tant, according to Dr. Pailas and Mr. Pennant, 

 of all the deserts from the Danube and the 

 Dnieper to the river Irtish, but not beyond ; nor 

 is it ever seen to the north of 54" or 55 degrees of 

 latitude. It is therefore found in Poland, Mol- 

 davia, about Mount Caucasus, and the Caspian 

 sea, as well as in the dreary open deserts of Si- 

 beria, where salt-springs abound, feeding on the 

 salt, acrid, and aromatic plants of those countries.. 

 It is about the size of a common or Fallow Deer, 

 and is of a dull yellowish grey above, and white 

 beneath, and along the back runs a dusky stripe. 

 It is distinguished from all the rest of the Ante- 

 lopes by the remarkable colour of its horns, which 

 are of a pale yellow and semitransparent : they 

 are strongly annulated for about two-thirds of 



* The A. gutturosa, or next described species has also yellow 

 horns, but not transparent. 



