Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/211

 parts are covered with the same kinds of bushes as those we had seen on the Shara-hada. We also found trees growing here, among which were the elm (Ulmus sp.), the alder (Alnus sp.), and the maple (Acer Ginnalum); the last-mentioned is, however, very rare. It is worthy of note that here, as in every other part of Mongolia without exception, the trees and bushes grow exclusively on the northern slopes of the mountains and valleys; even on all the insignificant hills of the Guchin-gurbu vegetation thrives better on the northern side.

It was in the Suma-hada mountains that we first saw the most remarkable animal of the highlands of Central Asia, — the mountain sheep or Argali (Ovis Argali ). This animal, which stands about as high as a hind, prefers the most rocky parts, but in spring, attracted by the fresh herbage, it descends to the valleys and may be seen grazing with antelopes.

The argali is peculiar in its habits; once having selected its ground, there it will remain; and a herd of them has been known to frequent one mountain for a succession of years, provided, of course, that they are undisturbed; as they are in the Suma-hada mountains, where the Mongol and Chinese inhabitants have very few guns, and are so little of sportsmen that they never kill one of these animals, — not from any feeling of compassion, but from sheer want of skill.

The argali have become so accustomed to the