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0159 The Pulse of Asia : vol.1
アジアの鼓動 : vol.1
The Pulse of Asia : vol.1 / 159 ページ(カラー画像)

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doi: 10.20676/00000233
引用形式選択: Chicago | APA | Harvard | IEEE

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species I am well aware, but those mentioned are enough to
show the general character. The names of the plants were
originally recorded with no thought of their possible signifi-
cance. The list is of interest in view of the much controverted
theory that Central Asia was the original home of the chief
races of Europe. So far as it goes, it supports the theory;
for it suggests that the original migrants from Central Asia
carried with them plants which there grow wild, and which
have since been cultivated in the new lands where the wan-
derers finally settled.

Returning to our main subject, the first and most impor-
tant geographic feature of the Tian Shan plateau is, as we
have seen, the pamirs, or plains of rich grass. They deter-
mine the character of animal life, including man. The cli-
mate is so cold, and snow lasts so long, that animals cannot
permanently inhabit the plateau in great numbers, unless
they hibernate like the innumerable marmots, or migrate
like birds; and even the latter cannot find food easily be-
cause of the scarcity of insects and of weeds with large
seeds. Yet during the summer months the conditions are
almost ideal for herbivorous species of animals. Man can
easily turn this fact to his advantage, provided he adopts the
habit of permanent nomadism. The rich, grassy uplands
are capable of fattening millions of sheep and cattle during
the summer; but before the winter snow sets in, the flocks
must be driven many days' journey down to the dry open
plains, or to protected valleys, in either of which places the
animals find poor picking compared to their rich summer
pasture. The Khirghiz shepherd must change his residence
at least twice a year. His family must go with him. All the