1 62 Sheep 



considered it the same as the argaH ot J. G. Gmelin (0. amnion, Linn.). 

 The name O. orientu/is appears to have been first given, as from Gmelin, 

 by KeyserHng, and Blasius in the Wirbclihicre Europas. The date on the 

 title-page of that work is 1840, and in the same year Mr. Blyth published 

 the name 0. ginelini, which should, I think, be retained for the species, 

 since Keyserling and Blasius's title is erroneously quoted as Gmelin's." 



So far as it goes, this passage is perfectly correct, but the author 

 appears to have been unacquainted with Brandt and Ratzeburg's O. miisimon 

 orit'fita/is, which antedates the names given both by the English and 

 German zoologists mentioned above, and is therefore, so far as the third 

 name is concerned, entitled to stand tor the species. 



The Ovis nuis'imon oricnta/is ot Brandt and Ratzeburg is stated to in- 

 habit the Armenian mountains of Persia, the Greek Islands, Cyprus, and 

 probably the Taurus, and to be distinguished from O. miisimon occ'idcntcilis 

 by the backward and inward inclination of the tips of the horns. As 

 Persia is mentioned before Cyprus, the name evidently belongs to the 

 Armenian rather than to the Cyprian variety. 



Distribution. — The mountains of Elburz in Northern Persia, those 

 of Armenia, and the Taurus range ot Asia Minor. In Transcaucasia 

 (Armenia) Dr. Satunin states that this sheep occurs in the neighbourhood 

 of Kars and Eriwan, but extends some distance farther north. 



Habits. — Messrs. Dantord and Alston write as follows concerning this 

 sheep : — " It seems hardly ever to occur on the southern slopes of the 

 Taurus, preferring the barer districts of the north. Herr Kotschy, 

 otherwise so accurate in his observations, must have been misled into 

 stating that ten to twenty wild sheep are killed yearly at Gallek, as at 

 that place, which is situated on the south side of the Bala Dagh, we 

 were assured that the species is not tound. Specimens were obtained 

 from the district of Eregli, where they are common, and frequent the 

 salt-licks in large flocks. Winter is the easiest time of year to p;et at 



