I32 MAMMALIA. 



smaller sheep distributed through Western Asia and the Mediter- 

 ranean regions, and thirdly, two forms forming a link with the Goats, 

 Ovis nahoor and Ovis tragelaphus. 



Of the larger group the Museum possesses examples of three 

 distinct species, i.e., Ovis poli, O. hodgsoni, and O. canadensis. 



Besides these three the following have been described : — 



( 1 ) Ovis ammon, Linnaeus (=iEgoceros argali, Pallas.) 



(2) Ovis nivicola, Eschscholtz. 



(3) Ovis jubata, Peters. 



(4) Ovis heinsii, Severtzoff. 



C5) Ovis nigrimontana, Severtzoff. 



(6) Ovis karelini, Severtzoff. 



(7) Ovis brookei. Ward. 



Ovis ammon is found in Eastern Siberia, but is apparently very 

 rare in Siberia itself, having been driven southwards by the Cossack 

 sportsmen ; it is very nearly allied to Ovis hodgsoni of Thibet from 

 which it seems to be distinguished only by the entire absence of a 

 mane or fringe of long hair on the neck, while O. hodgsoni has a 

 well developed white mane on either side and below the neck, and 

 a short gray mane along the dorsal surface of the neck ; the anal 

 patch affords no distinguishing character. 



Ovis jubata, from Mongolia north of Pekin, seems very nearly 

 allied to O. ammon. 



Ovis nigrimontana seems to belong to the same type as O. am- 

 mon. 



Ovis karelini and O. heinsii both seem to resemble O. poli of 

 Blyth very strongly. 



Ovis nivicola from Kamschatska is nearly allied to the Ameri- 

 can species, Ovis canadensis from the northern form of which 

 it seems doubtfully distinct. It is quite distinct from O. ammon. 

 Finally, Ovis brookei might well be a young O. hodgsoni of per- 

 haps a hybrid between O. hodgsoni and O. vignei as suggested by 

 Sterndale (Journ. Bomb. N. H., Soc. i, p. 35). 



There seem to be, therefore, three different types of large wild 

 sheep in Asia with several geographical races : — 



(1) Ovis ammon from East Siberia represented in Mantchuria by 



O. jubata, in Thibet by O. hodgsoni, and in Turkestan by 

 O. nigrimontana? 



(2) Ovis poli of the Pamir represented by O. karelini in the 



Thian Shan. 



(3) Ovis nivicola of Kamschatska. 



Key of the Indian Species. 

 . A distinct antorbital pit present. 



