Daily camera., 1901-11-22
or THE CAMEL
clsvs Supplied BY Fossils Found
In Arctics and Tropics.
AAuals That Coal1 EAaars tie
1r>nssst Extremes Of Colo ~
vel ~ Hset-nall SDseiss
Of the 0ebi Desert.

Many people think Of the camel ~
practically . tropical animal, perhaps
perhaps because some OF Its most
striking characteristics ft 1t for Cross
ing the Desert OF Sahara. lts large
storage OF water and the insensitivs
soles OF its feet naturally suggest
life near the equator. Even the do
m.sticated camels of Asia, whether OF
the Persiau-Arabian-African species,
which has but one hump, or those OF
Bactrian origin, which are endowed
with two, perform most Of their serv-
ice in what is, after all, . pretty hot
climate, says the New York Tribune.
However, in a recent number OF
"Globus" DR.. Nehring, Of Berlin. lays
stress on the fact that the Bactrian
camel is sometimes found in Siberia,
and can endure the greatest known
extremes Of cold as well as those Of
heat, il the air is only dry. In the re-
zion west Of Lake Baikal the average
winter temperatures are considerably
lower than zero, and are often 20 and
50 degrees below that point. The hab-
itat of the camel here overtops that
NJ the reindeer! Yet in the Cobb dss-
ert in Turkestan. animals Of the same
species have occasion to trot over
earth whose temperature ~ times
rises to 100 and lao degrees Tshren-
heit!
There has been much speculation
concerning the origin OF the old world
came.s. Bactria. the little kingdom
which gives its name to the two
bumped animal, lies only little north
Of Afphanistan. And tnasmuch -
fossil remains Of the family have been
recovered in the tertiary rocks OF the
Siwalik hills, in northern Hindostan, IL
has been supposed that this WAS she
birthplace of the race. But DR.. Neh-
ring points out the equipment OF
tseth-one OF the most valuable elews
In tracing genealcgies. Remains have
also been found in Algeria. and the
Berlin naturalist Is confident that tie
genus thus revealed was connecting
link between the Siwaik camel and the
modern dromedary.
Only ., = comparatively recent date
WAS q satisfactory elsw found to the
Bae,rian cAmel's ancestry. But fos-
sils from RoumAnia, near the Danube.
and from the vicinity OF Sarspta. on
the Volga. now indicate pretty clearly
,h., ,N modern two-humped camel
orieiua,sd either in eastern Europe or
northwssteru Asia. The Russian fos-
ais were associated with teeth be-
longing TO the mammoth, from which
II i, fair to infer that the climate OF
that region WAS mildsr when the bones
vsr, inferred than il 10 now.
DR.. Nehring retsrs TO the story told
. few year, ago by DR.. Langkavo! that
there are eAmels no bigger than
horse running wild on the Cobb desert.
Having Two humps. they are evidently
related TO the domssticaied csmels OF
central and northern Asia. DR.. Nshr-
;n1 feels. however, that the accounts
thus far received mead confirmation.
He wants to SEA the skins and bones
before be viii credit the statements
made concerning the siss OF these
creatures.
No mention 10 made OF the extinct
camsls OF America by the contributor
TO the pages Of "Globus.' II il well
known that remains have been ciseov-
cred In The Rocky mountains which
,&e back "a far as any Axiste fos-
ali. sot which show = long and gradual
development. of tbs race on this CONT
nen,. so.se OF the specimens found
are even sususr than the modern
horse. In like rSpnsr. there were
nr;mi,ive horses in America no bigger
than sheep. Hence the Only remark
able par, Of the story shout Wild cam
e.s in the Cobb desert which are small
er than those nov in the service OF man
is that the species should BE- IN exist
sn~a tn-lAV