Vol. XXVI, pp. 57-62 March 22, 1913 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF in 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE NAME OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 

 BY WILFRED II. OSGOOD. 



For nearly twenty years there has been an unfortunate lack 

 of uniform usage respecting the name of the Rocky Mountain 

 Sheep. Owing to the size and importance of the animal, it is 

 referred to in many works of sport and travel, and since it has 

 been divided into numerous geographical races, its name is of 

 frequent occurrence in various classes of zoological publications. 

 Therefore agreement as to its scientific name is more than 

 usually desirable. The names used for it in recent years arc 

 (iris canadensis and Ovis cervina, which, as now seems proved, 

 are of even date and subject to fairly definite rules; but the 

 habit of disagreement has become so fixed that it continues to 

 afflict, possibly because the claims of canadensis for recognition 

 have not been stated at such length as those of cervina. A third 

 name, Ovis montana, although not used recently, now proves to 

 he of the same date as- the others, so this also is involved.* 



As usual in such cases, the facts became known gradually and 

 decisions made at different periods have had some effect upon 

 opinions rendered in the face of later developments. All three 

 names refer exclusively to one animal, the Belier de Montagm of 

 Geoffroy, which was in turn based on the Mountain Ram of 

 MacGillivray. Cuvier and most subsequent authors until 1880 

 used vis montana, citing i1 from 1817. In 1880 Alstont found 

 that 0. montana Cuvier 1817 was preoccupied by 0. montana 

 Ord L815, based on the mountain goat, a different animal; 

 therefore he abandoned it for the mountain sheep and adopted 

 0. cervina, which he cited from Desmarest 1818. Five years 



* See Hollister, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXV, pp. L85-188, Dec. 24, 1912. 

 f Biolog. Cent. Amer., p. Ill, 1880. 



12— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXVI, 1913. (57) 



