The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-07
c<HsLs IN WILD STATE.
a rnscoxsry That Ranks - an important


that the Russian traveller. NJ. Kozlon'
has shot half a dozen Wild camels I'm the
I<ob-Nor region, and that the animals are
20 be found there In considerable mum
bers, is not new. NJ. kozloff's achieVe-
ment has been already announced anu
STR. and Mrs. ST. George LAT
nedalse. whose pine,HSye 'S oSia po IT,
sn5 then Of the Wild camel made mem mem
famous, told the London GeogTaphtieaa va
Society some months ago that tne3 49,,
seen n lot OF the rare creatures, anu my
irongbt homo several skins and skeletons
10 Dear out their assertion. the curious
will find specimens at the D'i"'"
Museum. . 10
really wild camel Is, however, an I'M
portant scientific event Before the iaSt
that the animal had survived was sd,is-
factorily established. the dlilculty was
10 Know where the camel had come from;
Sir William Flower tOld the fcllV"s "a
the ROYAL Geographical Society that ne
had no doubt that the humps o. "ie
"shlp OF the desert were matter oil
characterization. cultivation. and selec-
ton" so that the relation OF the drone
darV and the camel was close enough
hut where did the first camel han from!
There are few Wild camels, as there are
wild monkeys. in Spain, out these are
merely descendants OF tame ones run
wild The discoveries OF travellers, from
and kozlOH, now seem 10 place II beyond
question that the wild animal still exists
and that IL originally came form the WIGS
Of Tibet and Chinese Turkis,an.
Thus dsc0urses writer IN Inc NeSt-
minister Gazette, ana The London Ddhy
News comments further; This dlscOtel9
will go some way toward suhstanuauhs
the belief that the camel reahy t~istS
fn an untamed condition. and thar the
wild specimens are not an escape from
civilization UBUl II was found ~ tne
late Gen. Prejevalsky roaming al la'sq
over taf iNhtiHl ttlatlr rtfpf'' ori,,
seventeen years ago, the origin OF hehS
every dOmesticated specimen seeinvu
wrapped i'm mystery. The Gamer Is NJ,
81 does not appear 10 have been known
a. the ancient Egyptians, II ~ seen Ih
the sculptures Of Assyra. anu II IL,
quently mentioned i'm the Oldest DOCKS
OF the Bible Geologicany. it can be
traced from species found moi oIiy IA t''V
tertiary i'as ui enc SWAMI t'il', i' -" I'm
earlier sna date Ia in s'f Algeria, But also in de-
posts in the Western states Of America |
where no camel or camel-like ANNA !
has existed during the human Ptlou, |
though IN south America me ia, Iii'ii,,.a ~
present IN the shape Of The lama, Vlcuha' |
and alpaca.
Until Prejeyalsky's fortunate dscoy- !
cry the LIVING animal from when Wy /
useful, but unamgble ship OF the desert |
had been drafted into civilized life cOuId |
never be traced From time lmmemorII |
two species OF tame camel have bceh Ia |
use. These are the one with TWO humps |
found I'm Central Asia, Persia. and the
South OF Russia. generally known as IN |
bactrfan variety, ana the droinedaryi WIN WIN
Ara bia, and the greater portion OF AiIlcd.
The Central Asiatic form belongs, as |
might be expected. TO the t"o-humpcd |
variety. but the humps are poorly deVel- |
Museum scarcely possessing any sur m
prominence. Sir William Flower is in-
rlined TO think that the primitive camel
had no humps, and that the uusighty |
in question are the result
II demonstration, cultivation, and Selec-
ion" by the breeder.
They may depend also. 10 some extent
Ipon the circumstances Of the owner, since
they increase and decrease according
10 the bad or good feeding which the
beast receives. Prevelasky obtained the
o Europe from the region where our
now mentions their abund- |
lnce. and no later than last year Mr.
It. George Littledale-who with his Wiie,
las made such remarkable journeys In
'entral Asia-brought back from the same
lart OF the world, not only the skins, but
llso skeletons Of this animal. Thus, even
we omit a specimen obtained by Major !
cumberland about a year and half ago,
he British Museum Is now wei supplied |
BY the enterprise of our own travellers, !
with examples Of il.
According 10 the testimony Of the peO-
of wild camels at the present 0dy is the |
Desert Of kum-tagh, to the east of Lob
Mob They are also occasionally found on
The Lower Tarim, In the Kurk-tagh |
Mountains, and more rarely in the sands
bordering the Cherchen-daria. But. so
far as Prejevalsky could learn, beyond
of kbOten, their existence has been very
for about forty years ago the,
swarmed close to Lob Lake, near 10 Wh.ie
the village Of Chargalik now stand. and |
ug al q |
iagh, as well as in the rance itself. Men |
stu alive tell Of hundreds having been
sighted at one time; and hunter VINO
In the course OF his lifetime killed over
ninety with flintlock musket
The Increase OF population has, how
ever, been fatal to them, the natives !
using their skins for clothing. From the |
Il rrlple severity ot tuc winters enc |
camel does not seem 10 suffer at all; and |
any one who has seen II sliding along |
The Recovered roads of Siberia, when
the thermometer Is far below zero, can |
well believe that In being naturaliZed in
the 81 tara the camel has really been |
IfanSi .frcd 10 zone with mean tenn |
peratare far higher than that of its native
lalOts. 4t is even possible that the true |
pine Of the wild camel has stu to be |
cached. since the Lob Nortsi declare |
hat at times they retreat into the almost
saterlcss m-tagh deserts. In the heat |
# summer they climb 10 the Altyn-tagh
alleys, at a height OF 1000 feet; but
n winter most Of them keep to the lower
nd warmer desert. only entering the
1 camel thorn and other favorite food.
mike the domesticated species, the wild
nimal Is remarkable for its sagacity and
eenly developed senses. Its sight |
) in an especial degree acute,
nd its sense OF smell and |
tearing so wonderfully perfect that it
rove within shooting distance. once
armed. tney Instantly take hight, and |
O not stop for many miles.
IF. therefore, the Wild camel of Central
Isia Is only q dOmestiCated species which !
as again returned 10 the freedom OF
arbarlsm, II seems TO have perfectly |
itself. At all events it was
the deserts II now inhabits close
n 500 years ago. Marco Polo does not |
MENTION IL. but the ENJOYS OF Shah Rukh !
expressly note its occurrence. Zoologically,
does not differ wildly from the domes-
icated animal Apart from the almost
alosities on the forelegs, and the male
las no crest, or very small one The |
olor OF the wild camel is-what is rare
mOng tame OneS-the same throughout |
amely, a reddish sandy hue: IL Is of
nedium size, the muzzle Is more eriZzIet |
nd apparently shorter than that of The
ones. and the ears are not |
% long. hut the question OF whether
he Wild camel Is actually the descend |
mt OF untamed parents must. for the
resent, remain an open one.
an OF our domestic animals show n |
eady propensity 10 revert 10 barbarism |
ma III every case the descent to savage |
ON Is very rapid In South America
attle and horses have. In the course |
u Tess than Tour centuries, become TO al
lttnts and purposes quite wild. In Cen |
raj ASIA, within two years of the DUNCAN
lsurfection, COWS and bulls permitted to |
scape had grown so wild that they We're
y dihcut to stalk as anteioDes. In
oulhern Russia the tarpan, or wild
orse. though undoubtedly an escape.