302 THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFORNIA 



founded as at first sight would appear; for the 

 Strait is only about fifty miles wide, is interrupted 

 by three islands, and is jammed with ice nearly 

 every winter. Furthermore the argali is abundant 

 on the mountains adjacent to the Strait at East 

 Cape, where it is well known to the Tschuckchi 

 hunters and where I have seen many of their horns. 



On account of the extreme variability of the 

 sheep under culture, it is generally supposed that 

 the innumerable domestic breeds have all been 

 derived from the few wild species ; but the whole 

 question is involved in obscurity. According to 

 Darwin, sheep have been domesticated from a very 

 ancient period, the remains of a small breed, differ 

 ing from any now known, having been found in the 

 famous Swiss lake-dwellings. 



Compared with the best-known domestic breeds, 

 we find that our wild species is much larger, and, 

 instead of an all-wool garment, wears a thick over 

 coat of hair like that of the deer, and an under- 

 covering of fine wool. The hair, though rather 

 coarse, is comfortably soft and spongy, and lies 

 smooth, as if carefully tended with comb and 

 brush. The predominant color during most of the 

 year is brownish-gray, varying to bluish-gray in 

 the autumn; the belly and a large, conspicuous 

 patch on the buttocks are white; and the tail, 

 which is very short, like that of a deer, is black, 

 with a yellowish border. The wool is white, and 

 grows in beautiful spirals down out of sight among 

 the shining hair, like delicate climbing vines among 

 stalks of corn. 



The horns of the male are of immense size, mea- 



