136 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



days whose temperature reaches a hundred 

 degrees or more. But he is the hardy frontiers- 

 man of his race, enjoying, like our Western set- 

 tlers and adventurers of the early days, the 

 bufferings of the stern elements and the free- 

 dom of the wild places. Among all his kinsmen, 

 it is he that has ventured farthest southwest 

 from the original ancestral home in the elevated 

 plateaus and mountains of Turkestan. 



The male desert bighorn, with his stocky 

 body, noble, splendidly poised head, and mas- 

 sive, gracefully curled horns, is a picture of 

 animal vigor. There is an appearance of natural 

 composure and dignity about him that must 

 compel the attention of the most disinterested 

 observer. He is somewhat smaller in size and 

 paler in color than the Rocky Mountain big- 

 horn, but a no less imposing creature. A full- 

 grown individual is as large as a third-grown 

 heifer, and may measure close to sixty inches 

 From point of nose to tip of tail. As is usual 

 among wild sheep, the female is smaller than 

 the ram and the horns are much reduced. 

 Stephens gives the average weights of an adult 

 male and female Nelson bighorn as two hun- 



