ORDER ARTIODACTYLA : EVEN -TOED UNGULATES 579 



central, and eastern Altai. Now it is restricted to a small area, 

 including the Katun and Chuya Alps, the Sailughem Range, and the 

 upper courses of the Chulyshman and the Bashkaus. But even here 

 the Argali is rare and would perhaps be wholly wiped out, if hunting 

 was not forbidden throughout the year. 



In Transbaikalia Argali were known from the vicinity of the 

 Ingoda and Selenga Rivers as long ago as 1724. According to 

 Radde (1862), shortly after the severe winter of 1831-32 the last 

 few Argali were killed on the Odon-cholon Range, west of the Onon 

 River, on the Mongolian frontier. (Nasonov, 1923, pp. 113-114.) 

 "The Cossacks are said to be responsible for the disappearance of 

 this fine sheep from the greater portion of Eastern Siberia, where it 

 appears to have been once common" (Lydekker, 1901, p. 125). 



Gobi Argali 



Ovis AMMON DARWINI Przewalski 



Ovis Darwini Przewalski, Third Journey in Central Asia, p. 453, 1883 [in 

 Russian], and Prschewalski, Reisen in Tibet, p. 268, 1884. (Southern 

 slopes of the Hurku Mountains and southern and northern borders of 

 the Galbyn Gobi (about lat. 42 N., long. 105 E.).) 



SYNONYMS: Ovis jubata Peters (1876) (preoccupied); Ovis kozlovi Nasonov 

 (1913); Ovis comosa Hollister (1919). 



FIGS.: Peters, 1876, pis. 1-4; Przewalski, 1883, pi. facing p. 454; Prschewalski, 

 1884, p. 269, fig.; Nasonov, 1913, pp. 624, 625, figs. 2, 3; Sowerby, 1918, 

 pis. 8, 13; R. C. Andrews, 1920, p. 350, fig.; Nasonov, 1923, pi. 16, fig. 1; 

 R. C. Andrews, 1926, pi. facing p. 165; Sowerby, 1937, pi. following p. 252. 



G. M. Allen (1930a, p. 2) finds "no difference that would possibly 

 be of value in distinguishing the sheep" from the central Gobi and 

 the Chinese provinces of Shensi, Shansi, and Chihli (now Jehol?), 

 and I follow him in regarding the three names mentioned above as 

 synonyms of 0. a. darwini. 



Early extinction is feared for the few remaining Wild Sheep in 

 northern China, and the numbers in central Mongolia now appear 

 to be rather limited. 



Height at the shoulder of a male 6-7 years old, 105 cm. Horns 

 with the form of hodgsoni; much curved, measuring 88 cm. round 

 the curve; basal circumference, 36 cm. Pelage dark brown, more 

 pronounced on the hind parts, wavy and rather long on the withers 

 and back; muzzle, outer border of eyes, inner surface of ears, lower 

 limbs, buttocks, and border of abdomen, reddish; tail and median 

 dorsal stripe gray. (Prschewalski, 1884, pp. 268-269.) 



Under the name of 0. a. jubata, Sushkin (1925, p. 149) extends 

 this form southwest to the Columbus Range in the Altyn-Tagh 

 region of Chinese Turkestan and to the Tangla Mountains of Tibet. 

 It is very doubtful, however, if darwini actually extends so far to 



