114 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
domestic sheep. The proposed experiment interested me very much, and 
I at once took steps to procure the animals. 
“A few advertisements in our mountain weeklies brought various re- 
sponses. In Ouray, Col., I procured for $150 one male, three years old, 
which had been raised in captivity. The specimen proved to be quite tame, 
and easy to handle, and in all a splendid acquisition for such an experiment 
as that proposed. 
“ Next on the program, I heard that near Red Cliff, Col., five Ovis mon- 
tana had been captured in a snow-drift, but three of them had died during 
capture. The other two, both females, one three years old, the other about 
two years old, had successfully been landed in Leadville, and were for sale 
at $150 for the pair. I went to Leadville at once, secured the sheep, brought 
them to Denver, and lodged them in a large cage, 12 x 15 feet, in which, 
previously, I had nailed some drygoods boxes for their exercise and amuse- 
ment. 
“So far, so good. But now my trials began. The sheep had been in 
captivity only a week, and scarcely had touched food of any kind. I began 
to feed them the best of timothy and clover hay, also carrots and oats. 
The hay did not seem to suit them, but they would eat sparingly of oats 
and carrots. When I saw that timothy would not do, I tried alfalfa hay. 
This they seemed to like better, eating principally the leaves. But dire 
consequences soon set in, that made me feel rather uncomfortable, con- 
sidering the $300 I had paid for the sheep. Dysentery set in, which almost 
became chronic. The sheep lost flesh, and altogether looked a sickly pair. 
‘Finally, I came to the conclusion that hay cut in our mountains might 
suit them better. I procured a bale of the best South Park hay, and this 
alone undoubtedly saved the sheep. This hay they ate with great relish, 
and soon laid on flesh and became hearty and strong. Up to this time, 
the ram had not been put with the ewes, and I now put them together in 
the cage. At first they had a lively time; the old fellow would knock 
down the ewes at the slightest provocation. I was constantly afraid he 
would hurt them, but after a week or two he became docile, and after that 
they got along nicely. When at liberty, the ram used to feed on anything— 
bread, kitchen refuse, in fact, anything but old tin cans. 
“At last Dr. Hyer returned from California, where he had been in the 
interest of the Halle Institution. We at last got the sheep ready for ship- 
ment. I put each in a separate crate, and sent along a dozen bales of South 
Park hay, carrots, oats, and cress. In fact, we did not change the diet in 
the least. 
“The sheep left this country in the best of health and condition. On 
their arrival in Germany, Dr. Hyer wrote me that they stood the trip 
splendidly. The ram was sea-sick for three days, but the ewes were well 
throughout the trip. About a year after I again heard from Dr. Hyer 
that the sheep had been successfully crossed with Ovis musimon (mouflon), 
the ram with mouflon ewes, and Ovis montana ewes with mouflon rams. 
Still later I heard from the doctor that the crosses had been successful, on 
both sides. I here wish to state, from my own knowledge, that Ovis musi- 
mon crosses readily with domestic sheep, and that such crosses again breed 
