THE AMERICAN AND KAMCHATKAN WILD SHEEP 803 



important respects from the other members of the genus. The 'most distinctive 

 characteristic of these species is to be found in their horns, which, while very large 

 and massive, are distinguished by the slight development of the wrinkles on their 

 anterior surface, and the great prominence of the outer anterior angle, and the 

 rounding off of the inner one. In the skull the depression for the gland below the 

 eye is extremely shallow; and both in this respect and in the smoothness of their 

 horns, these species show an approximation to the goats. 



The American wild sheep is a large animal, with the summer coat 

 American ..,.,, . ,. ., 



Wild Sheen a & * brown color, often showing a reddish tinge, while in winter 



it is bluish gray on the upper parts. The under parts, as well as por- 

 tions of the legs, are white; and there is a large and conspicuous white patch on the 

 rump, which extends upward on either side of the tail. The back has a more or 

 less distinct dark stripe, reaching to the tail; the latter being very short, and black 



SKULL OF KAMCHATKAN WILD SHEEP. 

 (From Guillemard's Cruise of the " Marchesa.")* 



in color. The end of the muzzle is light colored. Beneath the hair there is a 

 shining white under-wool. Very old males may become very light colored through- 

 out. The rams attain a height of about three and one-half feet at the withers; and 

 their average weight is about three hundred and fifty pounds, or rather less. 

 The ewes stand about three feet in height, and weigh about one- third less than the 

 rams. The length of the horns in good specimens, measured along the curve, 

 varies from thirty-three to thirty-six, or even forty to forty -one inches; the broken 

 tips frequently rendering them shorter than they would be, if perfect. A horn 

 measing thirty-three inches in length had a basal girth of sixteen inches; while in 

 one belonging to Mr. Otho Shaw, of which the length is forty inches, the basal 

 girth is only fifteen and one-fourth inches. 



According to Mr. G. O. Shields, the geographical range of the American 

 wild sheep extends from Mexico to Alaska, and from the eastern flanks of the 



*We are indebted to Dr. Guillemard and Mr. Murray for this figure, and also for the one of the head of 

 the same species. 



