The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-03
RARE ANIMALS
And Strange Creatures Found by Hun
 ter in Tibet.

From the London Mail.
 While Tibet offers no attractions to the tourist who requires luxurious trav- cling, to the sportsman and the natural ist 1t Is a veritable paradise. though far from Edenic in some respects.
 One of the largest of the mammalia is the yak. or gruntng OK. Standing be- tween and feet high at the shoulders, the bulk of this strange looking creature is not a little exaggerated by the enor- nous growth of hair upon the lower part of the body and tail. Beneath the outer coat, moreover, there Is a layer of fine wool known as ''pushim," which is highly prized for the making of cloth. The extraordinary tall is one of the most conspicuous features of Tibetan monasteries or lamaseries being sus- pended on poles as streamers. Through out the east these tails are used as fly whisks and in China they are dyed red and fixed to the roofs of summer resi- denees as pendants. Living near the region of perpetual snow, and of fierce disposition the hunting or the yak Is not to be lightly undertaken. In spite of temper. however 1t Is easily domesti- cated and forms an invaluable beast of burden, being wonderfully sure footed and capable of carrying great weights. Ii is. however, unable 70 eat corn; and forced marches, exhausting alike to man and beast, are often on this account necessary.
 Barren and inhospitable, the high table lands of Tibet harbor yet other hoofed animals as remarkable as the yak-the chiru antelope, for example, which, like the strange saiga, has developed an enormous swollen nose 1t Is supposed that this enlarged size of the nasal chamber is directly due to the need of some special adaptation for breathing the highly rarified air of these regions. The little goa, or Tibetan gazele and a magnificent wild sheep. the argali man. age, like the chiru, to thrive where in summer the sun scorches by day and icy blasts prevail at night and herds of wild dogs are ever on the prowl. More difficult to stalk than any other Tibetan game. the argali still further allures the sportsman by the fact that it carries superb horns. which may attain a length of 4s inches. and a girth of 20 inches at the base. Old rams will leap from a height of 30 feet with confidence
 The ibex and a very remarkable anil nal known as the bharal, or blue sheep of Tibet. but which appears to be more goat than sheep. also deserves mention here.
 The snow deer, a beast nearly as big as the great .wapiti. has very seldom fallen to the gun of the European. No complete specimen has yet been sent to Europe In this country It is represented only by five skulls and horns in the British museum, and as many more in different private collections. The horns are of great size. the record in the num- Der of points-13-is in the British mu- scum. The spread between the tips of the horns is over ground. Little is known about the creature, but 1t is eonjectured that this coloration is protective, har- monizing with patches of snow and black rocks among which 1t lives.
 One of the most brilliantly colored of all monkeys is to be found in Tibet. It Is known as the orange snub-nosed monkey. It lives in troops among the taller trees. After its color the next conspicuous feature about this animal is it's tip-tilted nose.
 The great cats are worthily represent ed by the rare snow leopard, a specimen of which is now to be seen at the Geological Gardens in London. Only twice previously has 1t been brought to this country alive.