HABITS OF NYAN 185 



to the right, when we ascended the slope, and reached the 

 firing point without a hitch. I used the "450 Winchester 

 Express for the first shot, distance about one hundred yards, 

 and broke the neck of the okl ram as he lay in the warm 

 sun, in a most comfortable sleep. Poor beast, he passed 

 from ovine dreams to the sheep's paradise (wherever it 

 may be) without knowing it. These cold-blooded proceed- 

 ings cause a certain amount of revulsion, but such are 

 the fortunes of sport ; and when one marches for a month 

 over the roughest country in the world, it is lawful to take 

 advantage of all the luck that falls in one's way, when 

 hunting a wild animal credited by all authorities with the 

 wiliness of the prince of darkness. After the shot he just 

 stretched himself out a little more and lay still, but the 

 others were over the crest of the slope in a second, and in a 

 short time they were on the higher range in front of me, 

 going slowly as usual, and making frequent halts to watch 

 us : our positions were reversed. The horns of this ram 

 were a handsome pair, measuring thirty-eight inches. 



It seems to be the habit of nyan, in these mountains 

 at anyrate, to sleep high up on the open hillside in the 

 night ; in the morning to graze down to the level of the 

 valley, and remain about there till noon ; then slowly graze 

 up a side valley ; select a warm, secluded ravine, concealed 

 on all sides, and lie up for a couple of hours enjoying the 

 sun ; then to graze up again by evening to their night 

 quarters on the sleep and open hillside, where tliey are 

 most secure from prowling animals. The proper time to 

 catch them is when they are napping at noon — the hottest 

 time of the day. The approacli must always be made 

 from above ; if the sun is bright and hot, the wind is sure 

 to be blowing from below. This is my experience. 



Next morning we struck camp and crossed the range on 

 the ri'^ht into the next valley. A small thin stream runs 



