96 NEW, YORK ‘ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 
mothers feeding, but the watchful eyes of the sentinel on guard always 
kept me at a safe distance, and the nearest approach I could make was 
two hundred yards. 
“The horns of a full-grown male White Sheep will measure fifteen 
inches in circumference at the base and thirty-eight inches in length. The 
average weight of the full-grown male during September or October is 
309 pounds; the female about fifty pounds less. The horns of the female, 
which are almost straight, will average three-quarters of an inch in diameter 
at the base, tapering to the point, and about five inches in length. Very 
often these female sheep are taken for goats, on account of the similarity 
of horns. 
“Two lambs are the usual number at a birth. I have seen a few in- 
stances where three lambs were with one mother, but it is only rarely 
that this happens. 
“The pelage of the sheep is of snowy whiteness, and is a mixture of 
hair and a little very fine wool. Every spring the old hair falls off when 
the new hair is about one-half of an inch in length. The coat grows very 
rapidly, and by fall a heavy covering of three inches is formed, which it 
is almost impossible for cold or rain to penetrate. 
“The flesh of the sheep is, without any exception, the most palatable 
and nutritious of any meat I have ever tasted. One of the most peculiar 
features about it is, that one can make a complete meal of it three times 
each day for weeks, and relish it more and more at every meal. The flesh 
is of a light reddish color, with a rich, aromatic taste, and very juicy. 
The great demand for this meat by miners and prospectors in Alaska 
during the past few years is beginning to show its effect on these noble 
animals. On my first hunting trip, in 1898, I counted hundreds of sheep 
on a certain range of mountains, but when I returned to the same range 
in 1899 there was hardly a sign of sheep to be found. 
“The brown or ‘ grizzly’ bears which inhabit these mountains have 
a very cunning mode of procuring a feast on the flesh of the White Sheep. 
The bears are of a grayish brown color, almost the exact color of the rocks. 
In migrating from one mountain to another the White Sheep have well- 
worn paths, in which they travel in single file. A hungry bear secretes 
himself among the rocks, within arm’s-reach of the path, and awaits his 
opportunity. The unsuspecting sheep walks proudly along, until, with the 
agility of a cat, the powerful paw of the bear strikes forth, and the helpless 
sheep is at his mercy. Hundreds are killed every season in this way. 
“The wolves have a different method, and are not generally so suc- 
cessful as bears. Their plan is to move stealthily along the ledges when 
the sheep are feeding, approach their prey closely, and cut off its retreat 
from the steep cliffs. When attacked by a wolf the sheep huddle up in a 
bunch and form a complete circle, with their heads always facing the foe. 
The wolf keeps running around, snapping and snarling, endeavoring to 
get the flock scattered, but this is seldom accomplished, as the sheep know 
only too well what this means. If possible, they keep steadily on their 
guard intil the wolf becomes tired and is driven off. 
“Tt is a burning shame that there have not yet been enacted adequate 
laws for the protection of the White Sheep, and also for the moose and 
caribou of Alaska.” 
