THE GAME ANIMALS OF CANADA 85 
The presence of all gradations between the pure white 
O. dalli and the dark-grey or black O. stonei in the moun- 
tains between the range of these two species has already 
been mentioned. In the Selwyn Mountains and in the 
region between the Sheslay River district and the Lewes 
River the colour of the sheep is extremely variable. From 
the Sheslay River region north of the Stikine River, north 
along the uninterrupted area of travel through the Stikine 
Mountains and the Pelly River region, there is more gen- 
eral uniformity of colour, lighter sheep occurring along the 
Pelly River. 
It would appear that ‘‘within the areas of colour varia- 
tion,”’ to quote Sheldon, ‘‘sheep inhabiting the continuous 
unbroken ranges have a tendency towards uniform colours, 
while those inhabiting regions where the mountain ranges 
are broken, having the character of complex groups separated 
by wide valleys, tend to vary.” 
R. G. McConnell reported this species from the moun- 
tains west of Peel River, in 1901. Jos. Keele, in the report 
of his reconnaissance of the Mackenzie Mountains, in 1907 
and 1908, states that they are plentiful in portions of the 
Gravel River region, particularly on the low mountains be- 
tween the Sayunei and Tigonankweine ranges. E. A. Preble 
(1908) reported their occurrence in the mountains west of 
the Mackenzie River from the vicinity of Fort Liard to 
near the Arctic coast. They are killed in the mountains 
opposite to Forts Norman and Good Hope, and while at 
Fort Macpherson he saw heads and skins which had been 
obtained on Black Mountain, the extremity of the range 
west of the Mackenzie delta. 
During the summer the rams and ewes are hardly ever 
found together. Charles Sheldon informs us that the 
lambs are born from early May to early June, and some- 
times, though this is exceptional, as late as early August. 
After the lambs are born the ewes and lambs remain in the 
