86 CONSERVATION OF CANADIAN WILD LIFE 
most inaccessible parts of the mountains and afterwards 
seek the best food areas. The rams seek the best food 
areas, but do not move about so much as the ewes. 
The splendid trophy that the head of the white sheep 
makes causes it to be hunted whenever and wherever pos- 
sible. R. M. Anderson has reported the use of the skins 
for clothing by western Eskimos, but this is not common 
as the range of the sheep is largely outside of Eskimo ter- 
ritory. The great palatability of its flesh has been one of 
the main causes of its reduction and extermination in many 
parts of its range, especially in Alaska, where miners, pros- 
pectors, and others have not only killed it extensively for 
their own use but also to serve as dog food in the winter. 
No animal can stand the reduction in numbers that such 
killing involves, and it is to be hoped that such wasteful 
destruction of this beautiful animal will be checked by 
more stringent regulations for its protection. The recent 
establishment of a national park by the United States Gov- 
ernment, in the Mount McKinley region, will do much to 
preserve this species in that territory, and the establish- 
ment of protected areas in the Canadian range of this, the 
most beautiful of our mountain sheep, cannot be too strongly 
urged, especially as it would not affect the vital interests 
of either white or native inhabitants. 
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT 
(PLATES IX AND XVI) 
The Rocky Mountain or white goat (Oreamnos montanus) 
is another of the unique members of our native mammals. 
It is the only representative on this continent of the numer- 
ous wild species of goats that are found throughout Asia, 
southern Europe,—where its nearest relative is the chamois, 
—and northern Africa. Its home is to be found on the 
slopes and inaccessible summits of the western mountains. 
