110 CATALOGUE OF UNGULATES 



Ovis pygargus, H. Smith, Griffith's Anim. Kingdom, vol. iv, p. 318, 



vol. v, p. 357, 1827. 

 Caprovis (Argali) canadensis, Gray, Cat. Ungulata Brit. Mus. p. 176, 



1852, Cat. Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 57, 1872; Gerrard, Cat. 



Bones Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 250, 1862. 



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

 Caprovis canadensis, Gray, Hand-List Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 133, 



1873. 



BIGHORN SHEEP. 



Typical locality near Calgary, Alberta. 

 Size large ; shoulder-height in typical race about 38 inches. 

 Horns, apart from lines of growth, comparatively smooth, 

 with front outer angle strongly developed and inner one 

 rounded off; curving forwards by the sides of face, and 

 forming about one complete circle, or rather more, the tips 

 being distinctly everted. Skull relatively short, with very 

 prominent orbits, the lower border of which is nearly at right 

 angles with nasal suture ; lachrymal pits, like the face-glands, 

 small. No nuchal crest or throat-ruff. General colour 

 ranging from greyish brown, with a conspicuous white rump- 

 patch, divided by a blackish line connecting the dark upper 

 side of tail with dark of back in the dark forms, to blackish 

 brown in one direction and creamy white in the other 

 Horns of females short, ribbed at base, and inclining back- 

 wards and outwards. 



In the comprehensive sense in which the name canadensis 

 is here used, the range of the species extends from Mexico 

 to the Yukon and Alaska, and thence to eastern Kamchatka 

 and north-eastern Siberia. 



The following is a tentative "key" to the local races : 

 A. Size large or medium ; horns massive, moder- 

 ately divergent, with the tips generally 

 blunted; ears large or medium, pointed, 

 and moderately haired. 

 a. Ears medium. 



a'. Size large ; general colour greyish 



brown; tooth-row medium O. c. canadensis. 



b' '.' Skull smaller, with more slender horns 0. c. californiana 

 c'. Skull larger, with longer tooth -row, and 



longer or more slender horns 0. c. auduboni. 



d'. Size smaller; tail shorter and sparsely 

 haired; tooth -row short ; colour pale 

 dingy brown, or grey salmon, very 

 dark below, with rump-patch in- 

 distinct 0. c. nelsoni. 



