552 



THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 



once into dwelling-houses, where they lie as comfortably as the hermit-crab in a whelk-shell. 

 Man also makes use of these horns, by converting them into various articles of domestic 

 economy. 



It is a mountain-loving animal, being found on the highest grounds of Southern Siberia 

 and the mountains of Central Asia, and not fond of descending to the level ground. 



Its power of limb and sureness of foot are truly marvellous when the great size of the 

 animal is taken into consideration. If disturbed while feeding in the valley, it makes at once 

 for the rocks, and flies up their craggy surfaces with wonderful ease and rapidity. Living in 

 such localities, they are liable to suffer great changes of temperature, and are sometimes 

 wholly enveloped in the deep snow-drifts that are so common upon mountainous regions. In 

 such cases they lie quietly under the snow in a manner similar to that which has already been 

 related of the hare under the same circumstances, and are able to continue respiration by 

 means of a small breathing-hole through the snow. For these imprisoned Argalis the hunters 

 eagerly search, as the animal is deprived of its fleet and powerful limbs, and is forced igno- 



ABGALI. Caprotis argali. 



miniously to succumb to the foe, who impales him by driving his spear through the snow into 

 the creature's body. Like others of the same group, it is gregarious, and lives in small flocks. 



ANOTHER example of the Mouflons may be found in the BIG-HORN, or EOCKY MOUNTAIN 

 SHEEP, of California. 



This animal is not at all uncommon in its native land, where it may be found in little 

 troops of twenty or thirty in number, inhabiting the craggiest and most inaccessible rocks. 

 From these posts of vantage they never wander, but are content to find their food upon the 

 little knolls of green herbage that are found sprinkled among the precipices, without being 

 tempted by the verdant expanse of the plains below. Before they became acquainted with the 

 destructive powers of mankind, they were very fearless, and would ciiriously survey those 

 who approached their lofty abodes. Now, however, they are peculiarly shy and suspicious, 

 and at the sight of a man they blow their warning whistle, and immediately take refuge in 

 the recesses of the rocks. When wounded, unless the injury is one that carries immediate 

 death with it, the animal makes the best of its way into one of its retreats, and dying there, 

 is useless to its slayer. 



