Littledale's Sheep 187 



George Littledale, who shot them in the Sair Mountains. They include an 

 adult and an immature male and an adult female, the first of which may be 

 taken as the actual type. It is, moreover, most probable that a skull (No. 

 91, 6, 17, i) presented to the Museum by the same gentleman, and obtained 

 trom Semitau, north ot the Jair Mountains, belongs to the same form. 



That this sheep is distinct from all the three races of O. uiiiiiion referred 

 to above seems to be beyond doubt. It clearly appears to be equally 

 distinct trom the typical race of O. poli^ of which specimens in summer 

 dress are available tor comparison in the British Museum ; while Severtzoft's 

 plate shows the winter coat, which is almost identical with that ot poll 

 kiirchni. So tar as can be determined from comparison with specimens 

 ot O. poll karclini in winter dress, there seems also good evidence ot 

 distinctness trom that form, although in the matter of coloration it comes 

 nearer to that animal than any other ; both showing some brown on the 

 upper part of the tace and a dark streak down the back of the female. I 

 cannot, however, think that O. poli karelini in its summer dress would have 

 the dark under-parts and rump of the present form, while it certainly has 

 not horns of the same massive type, and is altogether of larger bodily size. 

 Moreover, if poll kcirc/ini became thus dark in summer, it would differ so 

 much from poli typica as to be entitled to specific distinction. As already 

 said, the horns are stouter than in 0. poll karelint. As I cannot identity it 

 with either of the insuthciently described sheep named by Severtzotf, and 

 fail to see that it comes decidedly closer to O. amnion than to 0. poli^ I am 

 tain, at least provisionally, to regard it as representing a separate species. 



The summer coat of the adult male differs broadly from that of both 

 amnion and poll typica by its darker colour, and more especially by the 

 absence of a white caudal disk and by the dark under-parts. From poli 

 typica it is further distinguished by the dark outer surface ot the thighs ; 

 while the females of both amnion and poli typica lack the broad, blackish 

 dorsal stripe characterising that sex in the present torm. 



