Distribution and Habits 15 



or Ovine group. For the present, however, it seems preferable to allow 

 the former to stand as a subdivision of the genus. 



Distribution. — The Holarctic and Sonoran regions, with one species just 

 impinging on the north-western frontier of the Oriental region. The 

 headquarters of the genus are the highlands of Central Asia, where there 

 occur two out of the three groups into which its wild members are divided. 

 In America there is but a single species, represented by a local race in 

 Kamschatka ; and North Africa has likewise only one species, which is, 

 however, very distinct from all the others. In most respects the distribu- 

 tion of the sheep is very similar to that of the genus CV/tv/j, especially in 

 having one peculiar type common to Eastern Asia and North America, but 

 it differs in the marked distinction of the African from the European form. 

 In a fossil state sheep are not definitely known previous to the epoch of the 

 Norfolk forest-bed, forming the earliest stage of the Plistocene epoch, 

 although there is some evidence that they may be represented in the 

 Indian Siwaliks. 



Habits. — Sheep, like goats, are essentially mountain-dwellers, associ- 

 ating either in small parties or in large flocks, the latter of which are, 

 however, formed during the greater part of the year by ewes and young 

 rams alone, the old rams keeping apart. In Asia sheep generally 

 inhabit more open and undulating ground than that tenanted by goats, 

 and do not frequent precipitous cliH^s. The rams, more especially during 

 the pairing season, are extremely pugnacious animals, fighting by charging 

 one another from a considerable distance, and receiving the impact of the 

 charge on the forehead. In these contests the majority of the species do 

 not raise themselves on their hind-legs when butting, after the manner 

 of goats, although this is the case with the bharal, which is structurally 

 the most goat-like of the group. From the absence of any strong odour 

 in the males, the tiesh of all the species of wild sheep is of excellent 

 quality. 



