THE HORNED ANIMALS—SHEEP. 



463 



their mothers into the most inaccessible spots. The 

 attempt has recently met with success, however, and 

 in the west young rams have not only been tamed 

 to such an extent that they could be safely left to 

 run free with the domestic flocks, but they have also 

 been successfully crossed with the common Sheep. 

 The flesh of the mixed breed is said to be excellent. 

 Origin of the We have as little definite knowledge 

 Domestic about the origin of the domestic 

 Sheep. Sheep (Ovis aries) as about the de- 



scent of other Ruminants that have entered our 

 service and have become completely domesticated. 

 Opinions of naturalists concerning this subject di- 

 verge widely. Some believe that all breeds of Sheep 

 spring from one common wild parent species, which 

 presumably became entirely extinct in prehistoric 

 times or else was completely exhausted by the com- 

 plete domestication of all the individuals compris- 



In the light of recent investigations, the opinion 

 seems justified that the different breeds of Sheep 

 are nothing but artificial products of the efforts of 

 Man, variable in shape and size, formation of horns 

 and fleece, habits, behavior and all other qualities. 

 The varieties of the domestic Sheep are numerous, 

 but from the naturalist's standpoint are much alike. 

 The Merino Sheep The Merino Sheep ( Ovis aries his- 

 a Profitable patiica) is at present by some au- 

 Variety. thorities considered to be the most 



profitable of all domestic Sheep. It has been proven 

 that it acquired its peculiar character in Spain and 

 it has gradually been used for the improvement of 

 nearly all European breeds. Of moderate size and 

 plump, stout build, it is distinguished by a large 

 head with a flat forehead, arched nose and blunt 

 muzzle, small eyes and large tear-pits and moder- 

 ately long, acutely pointed ears. The horns are 



THE BIG HORN. — A species of wild Sheep indigenous to North America is the Big Horn, found in the Rocky Mountains, often called the mount- 

 ain Sheep. It is the only native Sheep found in America, is of stout build and gets its common name from the great and curiously curved horns which adorn 

 the males of this species. (Oris montana.) 



ing the species, and is therefore nowhere to be 

 found in a state of nature at the present time. 

 Others, however, hold that several species of wild 

 Sheep must certainly be considered as factors in 

 this evolution, and that the almost numberless 

 breeds of domestic Sheep must be regarded as prod- 

 ucts of continued interbreeding of those species 

 and their offspring. Some regard the Moufflon as 

 the original stock, others the Argali; some the Aou- 

 dad. a few the Sha (Ovis vignei) of Little Tibet; 

 some, whose ranks I join, admit their ignorance 

 frankly and honestly, and justly emphasize the fact 

 that mere suppositions cannot aid in the solution of 

 the question. The difference between the breeds 

 consists mainly in the convolutions or twistings of 

 the substance of the horns, the length and anatom- 

 ical structure of the tail and texture of the fleece. 



strong and curve laterally and backward from their 

 base; then they turn forward and upward in a double 

 spiral curve. As a rule horns grow only on the 

 head of the ram. The neck is short and thick, the 

 skin usually lying on it loosely and being deeply 

 wrinkled and furrowed, and a dewlap usually de- 

 pends from its lower portion, while the muscular 

 and fatty tissue about the upper part of the throat 

 proper bulges out in a goitre-like fashion. The 

 legs are comparatively short, but strong and stout, 

 and the hoofs are obtusely pointed. The fleece is a 

 short, soft, fine wool, which is quite uniformly curly. 

 Merino sheep have been introduced with great suc- 

 cess into Cape Colony, North and South America 

 and Australia, in some of these countries being 

 raised as separate herds and in others they have 

 been used to improve native breeds. 



