564 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



FIGS.: Giinther, 1899, pi. 22; Lydekker, 1901, p. 140, fig. 31; Nasonov, 1911, 

 pp. 1283, 1284, figs. 4, 5, and 1923, pi. 6, fig. 2, and p. 37, fig. 9. 



Little is known of the present numbers of this sheep. 



"The horns are bent outwards in a regular curve, describing a 

 semicircle, without any trace of that spiral twist at the extremity 

 . . . constant in the adult Cyprian Mouflon; . . . remarkably flat- 

 tened and compressed in a vertical direction, with an obtuse upper 

 and a sharp lower ridge"; the whole of the broad, flat posterior sur- 

 face in the same plane; horns with transverse wrinkles and, at 

 irregular intervals, five deep grooves; length round outer curve 

 500 mm. (Giinther, 1899, p. 375; description based upon a cranium 

 with horns and skin attached). Some females possess horns (Na- 

 sonov, 1923, p. 39) . 



Sushkin (1925, p. 148) gives the range as "Islet Koiun-Daghy 

 in the Urmi Lake (introduced?) ; Mountains Kara-Dagh; north of 

 Travriz (?) [^Tabriz?]." He adds (p. 150): "The true home of 

 O. g. urmiana is unknown." 



Nasonov (1923, pp. 36-39) contributes the following information: 

 In 1916 Smirnov estimated the Koyun Daghi herd at no more than 

 350-400 head, and Verestchagin considered the number even less. 

 The permission of the owner of the island was required for hunting. 

 The island is 11 by 6 km., and the mountains are not very high. 

 According to the Russian consuls at Urmia, the sheep were brought 

 to the island by human agency from other places. One of the con- 

 suls, Baron Tcherkassoff, wrote that the sheep were descended from 

 a couple of animals that had been captured alive 50 to 75 years ago 

 by order of some princes in the district of Baba-Bagy in Kara- 

 Dagh, and thereafter had been introduced on the island. Possibly 

 the Wild Sheep were brought there many times and from different 

 places. Nasonov records two specimens from Kara-Dagh, which he 

 is inclined to consider the true home of urmiana. 



Laristan Sheep 



Ovis LARISTANICA Nasonov 



Ovis laristanica Nasonov, Bull. Acad. Imper. Sci. St.-Petersbourg, ser. 6, vol. 3, 



pt. 2, p. 1179, 1909. ("Laristan, southern Persia.") 

 FIGS.: Nasonov, 1911, fig. 10 (following p. 1296); Nasonov, 1923, pi. 4, fig. 2, 



and p. 38, fig. 10. 



Information on the numerical status of the Laristan Sheep is 

 lacking. 



Horns subtrigonal, weak, and with edges similar to those of 0. 

 vignei; black line of longer hairs below neck interrupted in middle; 

 white patches on each side of body joined dorsally. Height at 

 shoulder about 28 inches. (Nasonov, 1911, p. 1295.) 



