ORDER ARTIODACTYLA I EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 589 



This sheep was formerly abundant, but its present numerical 

 status is uncertain. 



"Horns more or less of the littledalei type, but with the outer 

 front edge rounded in adults. Head greyish brown above and at 

 sides, but whitish on most of face; back brownish gray, without 

 dark dorsal streak, and no distinct flank-band; under-parts, limbs 

 (including whole of thighs), a large rump-patch, and tail pure 

 white." (Lydekker, 19136, p. 8.) Record length of horns on front 

 curve, 54J inches (Ward, 1935, p. 286). Height at shoulder, 46 

 inches (Severtzoff, 1876, p. 212) . 



Nasonov (1923, p. 66) and Sushkin (1925) do not recognize this 

 form, considering it a synonym of 0. a. polii. Severtzoff (1876, 

 pp. 220-225) likewise referred specimens of this animal to polii. 



Its range may be considered to extend approximately from the 

 Terek-tau, northwest of Kashgar, through the Kokshal-tau as far 

 as Khan-tengri, on the international boundary east of Issyk-kul. 



Under the name of Ovis polii, Severtzoff (1876, pp. 223-225) 

 gives the following information concerning this sheep : 



O. Polii was met with by Mr. Semenoff on the high plains near the snow- 

 covered summits of the gigantic mountains of Han-tengri, at the sources of 

 the rivers Karkara, Tekes, and Sari-jaws. These places form the most northern 

 limits of its range, which, to the south-west, extends as far as the Narin, 

 the upper Syr-Darja, and the tributaries of the Kashgar-Darja at the frontier 

 of Turkestan. I found skulls of 0. Polii within a distance of from 10 to 12 

 versts to the north of the above-mentioned rivers, at the Ulan, about the 

 mountains of Atpash ; here it lives together with O. Karelini, but only in very 

 limited numbers; and these localities form the narrow line where these two 

 species are found together. 



On the high plain of the Aksay only 0. Polii is to be met with, and is 

 very abundant there; here it usually keeps in the mountains of Bos-adir, on 

 the left or north shore of the Aksay .... 



I saw this species on Han-tengri and Aksay in small scattered flocks of from 

 five to ten individuals unlike O. Karelini, which species I have seen in 

 flocks of hundreds in the neighbourhood of the Narin. . . . 



At the Aksay, . . . the sheep are not pursued at all, and therefore do not 

 avoid spots which afford hiding-places for a man; but on the plains of Han- 

 tengri, which in summer are regularly visited by the different Kirgees tribes, 

 these sheep are very cautious. 



Stoliczka writes (1874, p. 425) : "Large flocks . . . were ob- 

 served on the undulating high plateau to the south of the Chadow- 

 Kul [ =Chadir or Chatir Kul]." 



In 1889-90 Pevtzoff found these sheep very numerous ii4 the 

 Kokshal-tau (Nasonov, 1923, p. 84). 



Carruthers (1915, p. 145) speaks of the Kashgar, the Kok-kia, 

 and the Kok-shal ranges as all being good sheep country. 



