MAMMALIA. 163 



Skull and horns. 



Skull and horns. From Mr. Argent's Collection. 



The Domestic Sheep offer many varieties in the form and even 

 the number of the horns, and especially in the texture of their 

 fur. Many in cold and temperate climates, which are covered 

 with wool, when they are moved to a warmer climate become 

 permanently covered with short hair. 



Dr. Gardiner in his journey from Pernambuco to Crato passed 

 through a flock of several hundred sheep. " The excessive heat 

 of the climate had wrought a remarkable change in their appear- 

 ance, their skin being wholly destitute of wool, and replaced by 

 a short hair not unlike that of a cow." Trav. 163. 



But some kinds even in England, which are covered with wool 

 in the winter, are covered with short adpressed hair in the sum- 

 mer. This is the case with the West India Sheep, noticed by 

 Mr. Blyth (Ann. Nat. Hist. vii. 255). They also present several 

 varieties in the form of the tail. 



Pallas divides the Russian Sheep into four varieties, according 

 to the shape of the tail, thus : 



a. O. dolichura occidentalis, Pallas, Spic. Zool. xi. 60; Zoo/. 



Ross. Asiat. 233. 



b. O. platyura media, Pallas, S. Z. xi. 78; Itin. poster, ii. ; 



Zool. Ross. Asiat. 233. 



c. O. Steatopyga orientalis, Pallas, S. Z. xi. 63. 80. t. 4 ; Nov. 



Comm. Petrop. v. 31. 343. t. 8; Zool. Ross. Asiat. 233. 



d. O. brachyura borealis, Pallas, Spic. Zool. xi. 61 ; Zool. Ross. 



Asiat. 233. 



DOMESTIC VARIETIES. 



1 . Spanish Sheep, Shaw, Zool. 



uvis Hispanicus, Linn. Amain. Acad. iv. 174. 



Merino, Desm. N. Diet. H. N. t. 918. f. 1, 2. 



Merino Sheep, Knight, Mus. Anim. Nat. f. 682. 



British Middle-wooled Sheep, Knight, Mus. An. Nat. f. 684. 



Merino Ram and Ewe, Low, Dom. Anim. Brit. Islands, ii. 1. 12, 



2. Common Sheep, Penn. Syn. ; Hist. Quad. i. 33. 

 Ovis rusticus, Linn. Amcen. Acad. iv. 174. 



O. Gallica, Desm. 



O. brachyura, Pallas, Spic. Zool. 



O. leptura, Schreb. Saugth. t. 290 A. B. 



a. Hornless Sheep, O. Anglicana, Linn. Am&n. Acad. iv. 1/4. 

 Ovis A. Anglicus, Erxleb. 

 Lincolnshire Sheep. 



