Part 11

As regards the range of the Saiga at the present time, Herr E. Büchner, Director of the Zoological Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, has kindly favoured us with the following particulars:--

The Saiga is still met with, although very unfrequently, in the country of the Ural Cossacks between the Wolga and the Ural, and extends occasionally into the Government of Samara. East of the river Ural its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes and the steppe district of all West Siberia--Turgai, Akmolinsk, and Semipalatinsk. South of this the Saiga is also found in the steppes of Russian Turkestan and in the Dsungarian steppes of Western Mongolia, but not in Transcaspia.

Such is the range of the Saiga at present. As already shown, it was much wider than now even within the period of history. But when we go back into the Pleistocene times we have good evidence that the Saiga had a very much more extensive range, its fossil remains having been obtained from the caverns and superficial deposits of Hungary, Belgium, and Southern France. In the last-named country the researches of French palæontologists have proved that its bones and teeth occur in considerable numbers in certain of the cave deposits in the Departments of Vienne, Dordogne, Tarn-et-Garonne, and Haute-Garonne. Moreover, as shown by Mons. Gervais, at least one recognizable sketch of the head of the Saiga has been found on an artificially incised bone of the character so often met with in caverns where relics of human handiwork occur. It appears, therefore, that the Saiga inhabited Western Europe as late as the era of Palæolithic man, and was, moreover, in all probability one of the objects of his chase.

Still more interesting, however, is it to find that, as shown by Mr. A. Smith Woodward in a paper read before the Zoological Society in 1890, the Saiga was also found in former days in Great Britain. During excavations made in that year in the Pleistocene deposits near Twickenham, a fine example of the frontlet and horn-cores of an adult male Saiga tatarica was discovered. By the kindness of the Zoological Society we are enabled to reproduce the figure of this interesting specimen (fig. 50, p. 39), which was exhibited by Mr. A. Smith Woodward on the occasion in question, and is now in the gallery of the British Museum.

Finally we may mention that, as has been recorded by Prof. Nehring, there have been discovered in Moravia remains of a Saiga differing from the living species in having three, in place of two, lower premolars. From the occurrence of these remains, and those of other mammals now characteristic of the steppes in Western Europe, it has been argued by geologists that steppe-like conditions and climate must formerly have prevailed over large districts that have now quite changed their character.

Frontlet and horns of Saiga (fossil), ♂. ½ nat. size.

(P. Z. S. 1890, p. 614.)]

The Saiga has occasionally, but not often, been brought alive to the menageries of Western Europe. In 1864 and 1865 young male specimens of this Antelope were first received from Moscow by the Zoological Society of London. In November 1866 a pair of Saigas was deposited in the Zoological Society’s Gardens, and subsequently purchased, after living for several months in the Regent’s Park Gardens. An excellent coloured figure of these strange animals was made by Mr. J. Wolf in 1867, and published in the Society’s ‘Proceedings,’ and after their death Dr. Murie, then Prosector to the Society, based upon them an elaborate account of their structure and anatomy, which will be found in the volume of the same publication for the year 1870. By the kindness of the Zoological Society we are enabled to reproduce here an excellent figure of the head of the adult male Saiga in its winter coat, taken from a drawing made by Mr. Berjeau under Dr. Murie’s supervision. We cannot do better than refer those who are interested in the structure and anatomy of the Saiga to Dr. Murie’s excellent article, from which, however, we venture to borrow his account of the cutaneous glands of this curious form, which appear to be not less than ten in number.

Head of male Saiga in its winter dress.

(P. Z. S. 1870, p. 495.)]

“In the Saiga there are two small suborbital glandular sacs, the so-called crumen, lachrymal sinus, or tearpit of some authors, which yield a thick whitish or pale yellow exudation. These are situated in front of the orbit, and slightly below the median transverse line of the eye. In the younger female the small external openings of these were placed ¾ of an inch, and in the male 1½ inch, in advance of the orbital ring; but the sinuses or sacs themselves lay in the broadish and moderately excavated infraorbital fossæ.

“Each foot, as in the sheep, possesses an interdigital sac about 1½ inch in depth, and opening by a narrow constricted aperture at its front and upper part. The orifice is hidden by very short closely placed yellowish hairs, whilst below these the sac is superficially covered by a tuft of much stronger and longer hairs. The secretion derived from these interdigital bags is yellow and of a hardish ceruminous character.

“On the anterior aspect, but slightly to the inner side, of each fore knee is a small dermal gland, or a thickening of the cutaneous tissues, covered by a brownish patch of firm hairs.

“In the inguinal regions of both sexes bare oblong or lozenge-shaped spaces exist; each of these is 5 inches or more in extreme long diameter. Upon these inner edges in the female the imperfectly developed udders and four teats are situated.” (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 500.)

The Saiga is represented in the British Museum by a mounted pair from Sarepta on the Volga, and by other skins and skeletons from the same locality. There are also some horns obtained by Dr. O. Finsch on the steppe near Saisan, on the Russo-Chinese frontier, in 1876 (see Finsch, ‘Reise nach West-Sibirien im Jahre 1876,’ p. 193).

Our figure of the Saiga (Plate XLIX.) has been put upon the stone by Mr. Smit from a black-and-white sketch prepared by Mr. Wolf for the late Sir Victor Brooke. The original sketch, which belongs to Sir Douglas Brooke, has been kindly lent to us for examination. We regret to say, however, that we have no particulars as to the individual from which Mr. Wolf’s drawing was taken.

August, 1897.

GENUS IV. PANTHOLOPS.

Type. Pantholops, =Hodgs.= P. Z. S. 1834, p. 81 P. HODGSONI. Kemas, =Gray=, List Mamm. B. M. p. 157 (1843) P. HODGSONI.

Size medium. Nose less bent downwards than in Saiga, but more swollen laterally, at least in the male. No suborbital glands. Tail short. Mammæ 2. Large glands in feet and groin.

Skull without distinct pits between the eyes, or lachrymal vacuities, or anteorbital fossæ. Nasal opening ample, but not so large as that of Saiga.

Horns long, erect, compressed, slightly diverging, nearly straight below, evenly curving forwards above; ringed in front. Female hornless.

Range of Genus. Plateau of Tibet.

One species only.

THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES, PL. L.

Wolf del, J. Smit lith. Hanhart imp.

The Chiru.

PANTHOLOPS HODGSONI.