462 



THE CLOVEN-HOOFED ANIMALS. 



after the mother has been killed. They soon be- 

 come used to their keeper, but in spite of the high 

 degree of docility which they usually exhibit, they 

 always retain the lively disposition and vivacious 

 manners characteristic of them in the free state; a 

 passive attachment to their accustomed companions 

 and an affection for their young— these are the sole 

 signs of mental activity which I observed in them. 

 The Argali Central Asia and North America 



the Largest of contain the largest wild Sheep char- 

 the Sheep. acterized by powerful horns and long 

 legs. The Argali of the Mongols ( Otis argali) is a 

 huge Sheep equaling a nine-months-old calf in size. 

 The powerful, triangular, broad horns stand closely 

 together at their bases; they first turn backward and 

 outward, then downward and outward and the tip 

 again curves backward and upward. They are cov- 

 ered from their very roots with transverse ridges, 

 entirely encircling the horn in a series of intricately 

 intertwined convolutions. Thickset, wavy hair and 

 fine, short wool cover the body, the pelt being very 

 uniform all over. The prevailing color is a dull, 

 pale gray, merging into a darker brownish gray tint 

 on the face, the thighs, the upper part of the legs, 

 on the margins of the buttocks and the posterior 

 portion of the abdomen, and into grayish white 

 on the fore-part of the muzzle, on the upper portion 

 of the hams and on the lower half of the legs. 



The Range and The Argali ranges from the mount- 



Habitatofthe ains of the district of Akmolinsk to 

 Argali. the southeastern boundaries of the 



Mongolian tableland, and from the Altai to the 

 Alatau, and possibly still farther southward. 



The Argali shuns damp, wooded mountains and 

 localities of great altitude. It prefers mountain 

 ranges from two thousand to three thousand three 

 hundred feet above sea-level, abounding in barren 

 crags, with scantily wooded slopes and wide valleys. 

 There it lives winter and summer on approximately 

 the same territory, at the most moving only from 

 one mountain range to another. 



Diet and Mental During the summer the Argali 

 Development of the feeds on the same kind of vegeta- 

 Argali. tion as is appreciated by the domes- 



tic Sheep; in winter it contents itself with moss, 

 lichens and dried grass, and such other scanty prov- 

 ender as its range affords at that season. 



The senses of the Argali seem to be excellently 

 and uniformly developed. It sees, hears and smells 

 remarkably well, is fastidious in its food, whenever 

 there is a possibility of choice: neither has its sense 

 of touch apparently been slighted. The demeanor 

 of the Argali is expressive of deliberation and self- 

 complacency, and these animals also give evidence 

 of a certain amount of reasoning pow'ers and judg- 

 ment. Whenever constant pursuit has made them 

 wary, they display much caution, though they are 

 not excessively shy; but where they are habitually 

 unmolested they are surprisingly trustful. Their 

 foolish and sometimes dangerous curiosity is worthy 

 of note. Steller recounts how the hunters of Kam- 

 chatka occupy the attention of the Big Horn Sheep, 

 or the closely allied variety living on the mountains 

 in that region, by dressing up a dummy to attract the 

 attention of the animals, and then cautiously steal 

 up to within shooting distance of the Sheep by cir- 

 cuitous routes. Prejevalsky heard the same story 

 about the Argali and tested the truthfulness of the 

 Mongolian statement by hanging his shirt on a ram- 

 rod and thereby arresting the attention of a fleeing 

 flock of wild Sheep for .1 quarter of an hour. 



Argali Sheep a Notwithstanding such devices the 

 Favorite Game pursuit of Argali Sheep requires an 

 Animal. experienced sportsman, and still 



more a good marksman. The mutton is highly 

 esteemed by the Kirghiz and is really excellent, 

 though somewhat strong in flavor. In addition to 

 being pursued by Man the adult Argali sometimes 

 falls a victim to the Tiger, the common Wolf and 

 the Alpine Wolf, though the efforts of these beasts 

 to capture it are rarely successful. The beasts of 

 prey may oftener succeed in taking a lamb, but the 

 most dangerous foe of the young Sheep, probably, 

 is the Golden Eagle. 



If Man could succeed in taming these Sheep he 

 would win in them domestic animals which would be 

 of great economic value and importance. It would 

 be hard to find another animal as suitable to be 

 introduced into other countries as this one, which 

 defies alike the severe cold of the winter and the 

 burning heats of the summer of the steppes. 

 Kamchathan Wild A wild Sheep, inhabiting Kam- 

 Sheep Related to chatka (Ovis nivicola), is thought 



the Big Horn. [ Q belong -to the same species as 



the Big Horn or Rocky Mountain Sheep ( Ovis 

 montana) though it differs from the latter in the 

 structure of its horns, which are similar in external 

 appearance to those of the Big Horn but much 

 weaker. 



Range and Habits The Big Horn inhabits the Rocky 

 of Rocky Mount- Mountains and the country west of 

 am Sheep. it, ranging from the sixty-eighth 



parallel of north latitude south to about the fortieth 

 parallel and existing only in the wildest and most 

 inaccessible stretches of mountain country. 



The information we possess about the Big Horn, 

 especially regarding its habits, is very scant. Adult 

 rams attain a length of six feet four inches, only 

 four and four-fifths inches being occupied by the 

 tail and the height at the shoulder is forty-two 

 inches. The ewe measures from fifty-six to sixty 

 inches in length and from thirty-six to thirty-eight 

 inches in height. The males attain a weight of three 

 hundred ami sixty pounds, the horns alone some- 

 times weighing as much as fifty pounds; the females 

 weigh In mi two hundred and sixty to two hundred 

 .md eighty pounds. The physical organization is 

 sturdy and muscular and the head resembles that of 

 the Ibex. The length of the enormous horns, meas- 

 ured along the curvature, may be as much as twenty- 

 eight inches. The hair bears no resemblance to 

 wool and is of firm texture, though soft to the touch, 

 slightly wavy and at the most two inches long. Its 

 prevailing color is a dingy, grayish brown, deepen- 

 ing into a darker tint along the course of the spine. 



In their habits the Big Horns do not differ from 

 their relatives, nor even materially from the Ibex. 

 Like the latter, they are matchlessly adept at climb- 

 ing. As soon as they perceive anything strange or 

 suspicious they seek refuge among the most inac- 

 cessible heights and there take up a position on 

 some projecting ledge which overlooks their do- 

 main. Wherever they have come in contact with 

 Alan, they fear him as much as their arch enemy, the 

 Wolf, The mutton is eaten by white people as well 

 as by Indians, but has a peculiar sheep-like odor, 

 especially perceptible in the meat of the ram. The 

 skin is durable and strong, but also soft and flexible 

 and is in great request among the Indians for the 

 manufacture of leather hunting shirts. 



It has always been esteemed a very difficult feat 

 to capture young Big Horns, as they easily follow 



