Prof. Milne — Acros-s Enrope and Asia. 
405 
has tliriven rapidly, and often, wliilst securing its footing, it bas 
rooted out some pre-existing species. 
At present a line of rail is being built across tbe Urals from Perm 
to Ekaterinburg, and for tbis tbe rats are waiting. Strange as it 
may seem tbat rats sbould wait for trains, no sooner is one ready 
for tbem than it seems certain tbat tbey will commence tbeir marcb 
eastwards into Siberia. 
Here we bave a modern example of a new species appearing 
suddenly in an area, analogous to tbose sudden appearances met witb 
in pabeontological records. In such records we may, bowever, 
notice tbat tbese new appearances are sometimes coincident witb, or 
eise rapidly succeed, tbe dying out of some form wliieb seems 
never to return. A recent example of tbis sort we may draw from 
tbe same districts we are now considering. 
Tbis example is tbe Beaver, wliieb, if not quite extinct, is cer- 
tainly an almost unknown animal. At one time it inbabited tbe 
wbole of Europe and Western Asia, but now it is doubtful if many 
survive, excepting in a few districts wbere tbey bave received pro- 
tection. In Bavaria, wbere tbey appear to bave become extinct so 
late as 1860, tbere are no less tban sixty places, like Biberacli, 
Biberfeld, etc., all testifying to tbeir former abundance. Eeading 
Murray’s ‘'‘Distribution of Mammals,” one might expect to find 
tbem yet existing in considerable numbers in tbe streams of tbe 
Ural Mountains ; but from all tbat I could learn, I tbink tbat tbis is 
not the case. In times gone by it used to be found upon tbe Biver 
Boroslovsky, but even there tbey bave been exterminated. In 1859 
twcr beavers were seen on tbe Biver Kakoia. In 1873 one, probably 
a descendant of tbis last-mentioned pair, is said to bave been seen, 
and tbis is, I believe, tbe last record of beavers in tbe Urals. Furtber 
to tbe north, however, tbere are many rivers to be explored, wbere 
tbere is a possibility of still finding the creature ; but of its actual 
existence I could not gather any Information. 
Looking all over tbe Asiatic Continent, although it was often 
stated to me tbat tbe Beaver was to be found in such localities as 
Yakutsk and Irkutsk, as I approacbed tbese places tbe animal 
appeared to be as far olf as ever. The Yakutsk mercbants obtain 
the skins tbey seil from tbe Tcbucktians, wbo in turn obtain tbem 
from the neighbourhood of tbe Anadyr Biver, and perhaps also from 
tbe western part of North America. 
The bare ( Lepus timidus ) is an animal whicb is rarely seen on tbe 
eastern side of tbe Urals, wbilst upon the west, especially in Central 
Bussia, it is very common. In tbe case of some species, as the 
Eeindeer (C. tar andüs) and Moose (C. alces), tbe Urals form an elevated 
patbway by whicb inhabitants of the north are enabled to descend 
towards tbe soutb without suffering greatly from any cbange of 
climate. 
Besides the above two species of deer, C. capreolus is also a 
common inbabitant of the Urals. In the Middle Urals the Bear 
( Ursus arctos ) is to be met witb in considerable numbers, indications 
of its abundance being found iu tbe seal of tbe Government of Perm, 
tbe effigy on whicb is a bear. 
