THE " St;X[JAL SKASON OF MAMMALS, 28 



Badgers also are probably moua3strous, but tliere is great 

 uncertainty regarding their bi'eediug (Harting, 1888; Deu- 

 wood, 1894). 



The same is true for the I3:irbary wild sheep ; they are said 

 to be nioncestrous and to have one sexual season per annum 

 in captivity in this country (Zoo.). 



The red deer, fallow deer, and roe deer are probably 

 nioncestrous in the wild state ; they have only one sexual 

 season of very limited duration (Bell, 1874). The same 

 may be said for the ibex, Markhor, Barasingh, and 

 Hemitragus jemlaicus in Cashmir (Laurence, 1895), 

 possibly also the American bison (Allen, 1876), and various 

 other species of Bos, Ovis, and Capra (Lydekker, 1898) ; 

 also the black-tailed deer in Montana (Roosevelt, 1893), and 

 several antelopes (Sclater and Thomas, 1900). 



The truth regarding these animals is not, however, known ; 

 their nioncestrous condition is rendered probable from the 

 known very limited sexual and calving seasons, but it is by 

 no means certain. 



The genus Sorex, some of the Mustela, Myoxus avel- 

 lanarius, Arvicola amphibius, and Sciurus vulgaris, 

 in this country (Bell, 1874) are probably mouoestrous in the 

 wild state, as are also the wild cat and the fox, and they have 

 only one sexual season. 



Phoca vitulina, P. hispida, P. groenlandica, Cysto- 

 phora cristata, and Halichccrus gryphus have all a 

 very limited sexual season, occurring once only in the year, 

 and it is highly probable they also are mouoestrous (Bell, 

 1874, and Turner, 1875). 



Variation in the periodicity of the sexual season of various 

 domesticated animals, in comparison with nearly allied 

 species in the wild state, has been observed in a few cases. 



The cat in the wild state has one (Hamilton, 1896) — some 

 say two (Mivart, 1881), though this seems doubtful — sexual 

 season per annum, while the domestic cat may have three 

 or four sexual seasons each year. 



The sow has only one sexual season in the wild state in 



