Vol. XXV, pp. 109-110 June 29, 1912 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW SUBSPECIES OF MOUNTAIN SHEEP FlioM 

 WESTERN TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN 

 . NEW MEXICO. 



BY VERNON BAILEY, 



U. S. Biological Survey. 



In my report on the mammals of Texas* I referred the 

 mountain sheep of the Guadalupe Mountains to Ovis mexicanus 

 Merriam, mainly on a comparison of external characters in the 

 old rams. Recently in taking the matter up more thoroughly 

 I have had occasion to compare series of female skulls and find 

 that they show excellent and very constant cranial characters, 

 which in the old rams have become partially concealed by the 

 excessive bone^growth and closely ankylosed sutures. In the 

 light of these facts it is now impossible to refer the sheep from 

 the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas and New Mexico to mexi- 

 canus and equally so to auduboni or canadensis, 1" and a sub- 

 specific name seems best to express its relationship. Its actual 

 relationship with typical canadensis will not be known until 

 much more critical work is done on the group with more 

 material than has been brought together. The best cranial 

 characters in mountain sheep arc shown by four- or live-year- 

 old females, and if collectors will bear this in mind and save 

 :it least as many females as males the future value of museum 

 material will be greatly increased. 



Ovis canadensis texianus sul>s]>. nov. 



Type from Guadalupe Mountains, Texas, 9 ad. skin and skull, 118,255, 

 I'. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection, collected September 

 2, 1902, by Vernon Bailey. Original No. 7971. 



* Biological Survey of Texas. North American Fauna No. 25, U.S. Biological Survey, 

 Dcpt. of Agric, Oct. 24. 1905. 



tin using the name canadensis instead of cervina lam Following tin' custom of the 

 Biological Survey in not rejecting a name in good current use for one without a definite 

 claim to prioritj . 



20— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXV, L912. (109) 



