Appendix 279 



noting massiveness. I am sure that the rams I secured 

 were not abnormal specimens, and that the measurements 

 are typical of the species, whatever it may be. ... I see 

 in the work already referred to that an Ovis arkal comes 

 from the Turkoman country on the eastern precincts of 

 the Caspian; . . . perhaps my sheep may be identified 

 with them. . 



(2) EDITOEIAL NOTE. 



We take this to be the Armenian race of the Asiatic 

 Mouflon Ovis orientctlis, which is found not only in 

 the mountains of Elburz, Northern Persia, but also in 

 Armenia, and in the Taurus range of Asia Minor. In 

 old rams the horns are characterised by having the front 

 outer angle well marked, so that the front surface is 

 clearly denned from the outer one, as shown in the 

 illustration. 



(3) LETTER FROM MR E, LYDEKKER. 



The wild sheep skulls and horns from the north side 

 of the Elburz range, figured and described by Major 

 Kennion in ' The Field ' of March 30, are certainly of 

 the urial or shapu type, as distinguished from that of 

 the Armenian wild sheep (Ovis orientalis, or Ovis gmelini). 

 It is, however, very remarkable that the wild sheep ob- 

 tained from the Elburz by the Hon. W. Erskine, and 

 described by myself in 'The Field' for 1905 (vol. civ., 

 p. 1031), were of the Armenian type, although presenting 

 certain resemblances to the urial. As Mr Erskine started 

 on his expedition from Tehran, it seems highly probable 

 that his specimens were obtained on the southern flank 

 of the Elburz ; and, if so, the watershed of that range 

 may prove the division between the habitat of sheep of 



