CHAPTER IX. 



BIG HORN AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 



THE big horn and Rocky Mountain sheep are to the 

 Continent of North America what the ibex and chamois 

 are to Europe. However, there is no great similarity 

 of appearance between these representatives of the 

 eastern and western world, although the differences 

 are no greater than can be found between races of 

 sheep and goats. From what I have said, the reader 

 will be prepared to learn that both these interesting 

 animals are inhabitants of mountain districts, searching 

 for their food and enjoying their gambols upon the 

 verge of the precipitous sierras, where mortals' tread 

 dare not touch, where the slightest false step, the 

 slightest hesitation, would hurl them down to inevit- 

 able destruction. 



The elevation of the situations they select for their 

 resting places is doubtless governed by temperature ; 

 thus they ascend to greater altitudes in summer than in 

 winter ; at the same time, if compelled through alarm, 

 they will unhesitatingly retire into regions covered 

 with perpetual snow, and nature seems to have so well 

 provided for such occasions, that they appear to do 

 so without suffering inconvenience. From my own 

 experience I have formed the conclusion that both the 

 above animals are partially nocturnal ; by this I do not 



