CAPRLVM 93 



and Goats, p. 174, pi. xiv, 1898, Game Animals of India, etc. 



p. 95, 1907, The Sheep and Its Cousins, p. 268, 1912, Cat. Hume 



Bequest Brit. Mus. p. 5, 1913 ; Pousargues, Mem. Soc. Zool. 



France, 1898, p. 146; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1899, pi. viii. 

 ^goceros argali, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. vol. i, p. 231, 1811. 

 Caprovis (Argali) argali, Gray, Cat. Ungulata Brit. Mus. p. 174, 1852, 



Cat. Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 57, 1872. 



Musimon argali, Gervais, Hist. Nat. Mamm. vol. ii, p. 191, 1855. 

 Caprovis argali, Gray, Hand-List Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 132, 1873. 



ARGALI. 



Size typically very large (46 to 48 inches at shoulder). 

 Horns large and strongly wrinkled, curving forwards by the 

 side of the face in a close or open spiral, with the tips 

 directed markedly outwards, and the whole often forming 

 considerably more than one complete circle. Tail very short ; 

 generally white or whitish. Frequently a large white and 

 comparatively short-haired throat-ruff, at least in winter ; 

 often a dark nuchal, and in some instances a dorsal crest. 

 Generally no distinct dark flank-band dividing the fawn of 

 the upper-parts from the white of the belly ; in some cases a 

 blackish patch behind upper part of fore-leg. Summer coat 

 very short and frequently pale-coloured, showing a large 

 amount of white on hind-quarters, which may extend over a 

 considerable portion of the thighs, and more or less white on 

 muzzle. Winter coat close, thick, and darker. Face-gland 

 and lachrymal pit large. 



Typical locality Altai, probably the Semipalatinsk 

 district. 



The available material in the collection is quite in- 

 sufficient to give a complete diagnosis of this very variable 

 sheep inclusive of seasonal colour-changes ; while it is still 

 less possible to give a complete " key " to the local races, 

 several of which probably intergrade. 



The following provisional key includes some of the better- 

 known of these races : 



A. Size large (highest at shoulder, 48 in. in 



0. a. ammon). 

 a. Horns massive and thick, with first turn 



of spiral approximated to face. 



a'. Horns very massive, with descending 



portion inclined inwards, tops 



directed much outwards, and front 



outer angle rounded off, the whole 



