THE GAME ANIMALS OF CANADA ao 
Chilcotin regions. In spite of long persecution—the slaugh- 
ter by sportsmen for a trophy that is prized above all others, 
and by white men and particularly Indians for meat, for its 
flesh is of the most savoury kind—it has managed to hold 
its own. 
Habits—The Rocky Mountain sheep prefers the high 
mountain meadows at timber-line, where small bands will 
graze on the rich vegetation usually found there. Partic- 
ularly do they prefer a grassy meadow or slope, one side of 
which falls away in precipitous crags, with talus below, by 
which route their marvellous agility in climbing rocks will 
enable them to make their escape should danger arise. The 
rams and ewes form separate flocks in the spring, and feed 
in separate pastures until late in the fall, when they inter- 
mingle again. The young are born between May 15 
and June 15, sometimes on the high snow-fields, or in 
sheltered places among the rocks near the timber-line. 
The chief enemies of the lambs in the spring are the golden 
and bald eagles. When stress of weather drives the small 
flocks to lower altitudes they are subject to the attacks of 
such predatory animals as wolves, coyotes, and cougars 
or mountain lions. 
The horns of the Rocky Mountain sheep are massive and 
thick, and not so widely spread as in other species. The 
largest horns ever taken of which I can find a record are 
claimed to have measured eighteen and one-half inches in 
circumference at the base and fifty-two and one-half inches 
in length round the curve. This ram was taken in the Sel- 
kirk Mountains. Fine horns are often spoiled by being 
“‘stubbed”’ at the end by fighting, and by wearing away 
owing to striking the horns against rocks and rubbing them. 
There is a large amount of variation to be found in the 
weight and thickness of the horns of races of this species 
from different localities; for example, the horns of sheep 
found in the Lillooet region of British Columbia are usually 
