Yukon Bighorn 1 9 



obtained in the neighbourhood of Cook Inlet, the range of the race 

 includes nearly all the high mountains of Alaska, and extends northwards 

 to the Arctic coast. Details are, however, wanting with regard to its 

 limits in parts of the country ; and in the neighbourhood of Lake Bennett 

 it is thought probable that O. canadensis stonei viY;\}j occur close to the present 

 race ; all the sheep in that district are, however, said to be white in 

 winter. 



THE YUKON BIGHORN 



[Ovis canadensis fan/iini) 



A wild sheep from the Rocky Mountains on the eastern side of the 

 Yukon River, about seventy-five miles to the east of Dawson City, has 

 recently been described by Mr. W. T. Hornaday,^ in a paper on the big- 

 horns of America generally, as a new sheep, under the name of Ovis 

 fannini. The paper is illustrated with several figures, one of which is 

 coloured. Whatever else it may be, this sheep, in the view of the 

 present writer, is certainly not a distinct species, as it is evidently very 

 nearly related to the white Alaskan bighorn ; it may, however, be allowed, 

 at least provisionally, to rank as a local race of bighorn. 



In general appearance this sheep seems to be very similar to the white 

 Alaskan bighorn, from which it is distinguished by the shoulders, back, and 

 outer side of the upper part of the legs being grey. It resembles, indeed, 

 a white sheep covered with a grey blanket, from which feature the names 

 of " saddle-backed " and piebald sheep have been suggested as appropriate 

 designations. The front of the fore-legs from the knee downwards, and 

 the whole of the corresponding surface of the hind-limb are marked by a 

 brown streak ; and the tail is rather darker than the back, the rump-patch 

 being white. 



1 Report New York Zoological Societ-i, p. 78 (1901). 



