l%e Rocky Mountain Sheep, 359 



** The ears and tail are short ; tlie hair bears no resemblance to 

 wool, but is similar to that of the American elk or reindeer. It 

 is slighty crimped throughout its whole length, two inches in 

 length on the back, and one inch and a-haif on the sides. The 

 general colour of the animal is greyish brown, but with the rump 

 and belly greyish white. The tail and hoofs are black. 



" The female resembles some of the finest specimens of the 

 common ram. The neck is a little longer, as are also the head 

 and legs, and in consequence it stands much higher. Its horns 

 resemble more those of the goat than the sheep ; in fact, whilst 

 the fine erect body of the male reminds one of a large deer with 

 the head of a ram, while the female looks like a fine specimen of 

 antelope. 



" They are shy, wary and most difficult of approach, and when 

 wounded run up the precipice, where they die in places inacces- 

 sible to the hunter. They are gregarious, being often seen in flocks 

 of from twenty to thirty. In the winter and spring the females 

 and the young males band together. The ewes bring forth in 

 June and July one or two at a birth. The old rams fight terrific 

 battles with each other. It is said that they sometimes spring 

 from the rocks and alight on their head upon the earth below 

 without injury, the elasticity of their horns breaking a portion of 

 the violence of the shock, while the strength of the neck, which in 

 the sheep tribe is formed to resist violent concussions, is sufficient 

 to withstand the remainder. 



" Wh^re they have often been fired at, they alarm their 

 companions by a loud hissing noise, when the whole flock take 

 to flight, and when once they get a view of the hunter they remain 

 on the watch during the whole of that day. The flesh is com- 

 pared to that of the most delicious venison. Like the deer they 

 are fond of mineral waters, and are in the habit of paying daily 

 visits to springs or caves in the mountains where saline efflores- 

 cences abound. Their food consists of grasses, tender vines and 

 leaves. 



" Although found in the British possessions, this animal does 

 not descend into the plain country of the Hudson's Bay Territory, 

 and it is not therefore made an article of commerce by the tra- 

 ders, for which in fact no part of the animal, except the skin and 

 the head as a curiosity, could be of value." 



" This animal has been known to Europeans since 1697, when. 

 Father Picolo, a Catholic missionary to California, represented it 



