THE BIGHORN SHEEP 389 



Head of Rocky Mountain Bighorn, Irom Mr. W. F. Sheard's specimen. 



The BIGHORN SHEEP (Ovis canadensis). 

 (Also known as Ovis cervina.) 



The bighorn of the American continent, inclusive of its local races, 

 is a large sheep, distinguished from the Asiatic argalis, among other 

 features, by the comparative smoothness of the horns, in which the 

 outer front angle is prominent and the inner one rounded off, and also 

 by the smaller size of the face-glands. There is a well-marked whitish 

 patch on the rump, but the amount of white on the under parts and 

 legs shows considerable local variation. In the typical Rocky 

 Mountain race (O. canadensis typica) the ears are long and pointed, 

 with short hair, and the horns, which are very heavy, diverge but little 

 outwards, and generally have the tips broken. The Californian O. 

 canadensis nelsoni is a paler southern race. On the other hand, in O. 

 canadensis stonei of the North- West Territories the colour of the back 

 is very dark, and the white on the belly and legs sharply defined. Both 

 in this race and the white O. canadensis dalli of Alaska the horns are 

 lighter, more divergent, and more sharply pointed, while the ears tend 

 to become shorter, blunter, and more hairy. Height at shoulder about , 

 3 feet 2 inches. Weight about 350 Ibs. 



The horns of the ewes are very small in comparison with those of the 

 rams, seldom measuring more than i 5 inches on the curve from base 

 to tip. Large male horns are now difficult to obtain, and of late years 



