ON A HYBRID, OVIS HODGSONI, CUMVIGNEI. 



37 



and the latter of the Vignei), is nearer in size to Hodgsoni, which 

 is double that of the other. The horns of these are rounded in 

 front resembling what has been figured of BrooJcei, but hollowed out 

 behind like Vignei. The horns of the quarter-bred are square in front 

 and hollowed behind like the true Shapoo type, but are more massive 

 than the pure-bred Shapoo.* 



Now as regards the colour of the skin. The Nyan or Hodgsoni has 

 no black beard or throat-stripe which Vignei has. The half-bred 

 shows no black, but the quarter-bred does in a modified but decided 

 degree. The half-bred turns also in summer to the colour of Hodgsoni, 

 having more of a blue grey or lavender tiut and less of the fawn colour 

 of Vignei with the white throat of Hodgsoni, it also gets the dark patch 

 at the side of the neck. The skin of a quarter-bred specimen before 

 me is of a bright fawn above ; sides and rump white, and a black 

 stripe down the middle of the throat. 



The skull characteristics are as follows : — 



Oirth of horn 



Length of horns 



Length of skull from between horns t 



tip of premaxillfe 



Breadth between orbits 



Ditto between frontal sinuses 



Length of teeth ... 



Broadest par. of palate 



In this table there are two noticeable points. It is plain that there 

 is a gradual reversion to the size of Ovis Vignei, but although the 

 quarter-bred hybrid has a greater girth of horn than the Vignei, the 

 latter has greater length ; and this gives it an advantage in all round 

 measurement. Take off these extra 7| inches in length of horn, and the 

 Shapoo stands at 52| against the quarter-bred's 55i ; over 3 inches less. 

 Now comes the question of locality. The nearest Hodgsoni ground to 

 where the Shapoo were located was over sixty miles off, but this is not 

 a barrier to an animal like the Amnion who would cover such a 

 distance in a couple of days. 



R. A. S. 



* I have figured the half-bred horns with rounded fronts on account of their 

 resemblance to the type of Ovi# Brookd, but I have received another pair of hybrid 

 (half-bred) horns which are quite square in front and as massive as the rounded 

 i nee. — R.A.S. 



