ovis 987 



at base, the under surface concave, the general form usually aii 

 outwardly directed spiral ; teeth strongly hypsodont, the upjser 

 molars without supplementary pillars in re-entrant angles, the 

 outer side of upper premolars with both terminal and median 

 ridges well developed ; lower incisors with crowns elevated, the 

 width of z'l when unworn not more than height. 



Remarks. — The genus Ods contains about forty described 

 species, mostly Asiatic. Only one is definitely known to occur 

 wild in Europe. 



OVIS MUSIMON Pallas. 



1811. JEgoccros mtisimon Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat., i, p. 230 (Sardinia). 

 1829. [Ovis musimon'] b var. occidentalis Brandt and Ratzeburg, Gctreue 



Darstelluug und Beschreibung der Thiere, p. 55 (Corsica). 

 1841. Ovis niusmon Bonaparte, Iconogr. Faun. Ital., Indice distrib. 

 1857. Ovis musivion Blasius, Saugetbiere Deutscblands, p. 471. 

 1905. ? Ovis viatscJiiei Duerst, Martin Wilckens Grundziige der Naturgescb. 



der Haustiere, 2nd ed., p. 180 (Corsica and Sardinia). 

 1910. Ovis musimon Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. 242. 



Type localitjj. — Sardinia. 



Geograpliical distribution. — Corsica and Sardinia. 



Diagnosis. — Size decidedly less than in ordinary domestic 

 sheep (head and body of rams about 1300; condylobasal length 

 of skull about 225 mm.) ; general colour of back and sides 

 reddish brown ; a blackish median stripe on neck and shoulders, 

 this spreading as a dark shade over sides behind shoulders ; a 

 conspicuous greyish white patch on posterior half of sides ; under- 

 parts of body and inner surface of legs dull whitish ; under 

 surface of neck with conspicuous black area, this continued 

 broadly down forearm and as a narrow stripe nearly to hoof ; 

 colour of side sepai^ated from that of belly by a black strij^e 

 beginning at axilla and extending down outer side of hind leg to 

 heel ; tail black above, whitish below ; skull small, with shallow 

 indistinct lachrymal pits ; horns occasionally present in female,* 

 those of male curved in a single plane or with tip bent either 

 outward or inward. 



Measurements. — Adult males from Sardinia and Corsica 

 (skins) : head and body, 1270 and 1300 ; tail, 55 and 60 ; hind 

 foot, 220 and 240 ; ear, 70 and 70. For cranial measurements 

 see Table, p. 996. 



Specimens examiwcf/. —Sixteen from Sardinia (B.M., U.S.N.M., and 

 Genoa) and two from Corsica (B.M. and U.S.N.M.). 



Remarks. — Two species of Ovis are recognized by Duerst as 

 occurring together in both Corsica and Sardinia. Their characters 

 are said to be as follows : — 



* See Lvdckker, Field, London, ex, pp. 147, 197, and Bernard, ibid., 

 p. 147. 



