Marco Polo's Sheep 197 



The weight of a good ram's head is estimated by the Viscount at about 

 40 lbs.; and to support this enormous burden great strength of neck 

 is requisite. This is effected by an excessive development of the great 

 tendon of the neck, the ligamentum nuchit ot anatomists, which is like a 

 cable. Some idea of the numbers in which these magnificent sheep are 

 found on the Pamirs may be gathered from a statement of the same 

 writer, to the effect that he estimated the number he saw during a single 

 day's hunting at not less than 600 head. Such a profusion of large animals 

 is only to be met with elsewhere in Africa, and formerly on the American 

 prairies. 



h. Thian Shan Race — Ovis poli karelini 



(.?) Ovis sculptor II III, Blyth, Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 1840, p. 12; Flower and 

 Garson, Cat. Osteol. Miis. Coll. Surg. pt. ii. p. 245 (1884). 



Ovis karelini, Severtzoff, Trans. Soc. Moscoii, vol. viii. art. 2, pp. 150 

 and 154, pi. i. (1873), Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xviii. pp. 171, 

 210, and 217 (1876); Brooke, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 512; Blanford, 

 Results of Tarkand Mission — Mamni. p. 80 (1879). 



(.?) Ovis colliiim, Severtzoff, Trans. Soc. Moscoii, vol. viii. art. 2, p. 154 



(1873)- 



(.?) Ovis hcinsii, Severtzoff, op. cit. pp. 150 and 154 (1873) ; Brooke, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 517 ; Prezewalski, Cat. Zool. Coll. p. 15 (1887). 



Ovis poli, Stoliczka, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. 425, pi. liii. 



Characters. — Distinguished from the typical race by the following 

 characters : — Horns of adult male shorter, their spiral seldom much 

 exceeding one complete circle ; the outer front angle in some specimens 

 completely rounded off at the base, but in other examples sharp. In the 

 winter coat apparently rather less white on the buttocks and thighs, and 

 the upper part of the face, at least frequently, brownish instead of pure 

 white ; female in winter coat (according to Dr. Stoliczka's figure) with a 



