58 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



persons is to me a mystery. Plainly do its appearance, 

 habits, etc., designate it as a member of the Ovis family, 

 instead of the Hos. However, Blainville, a naturalist of 

 good reputation, to avoid censure, boldly seizes both, and 

 designates it Ovibos, thereby claiming a distinct standing 

 and title to the honor of representing a new genus by adopt- 

 ing the sobriquet of two old ones. Audubon does likewise, 

 and heads his chapters on these animals with the title of 

 " Genus Ovibos" As an authority on American natural 

 history, the latter is entitled to the highest consideration. 

 At the same time, I can not help feeling that the name 

 adopted is a shuffling pretext to prevent controversy, and 

 the possibility of making a mistake that in future years 

 would require to be corrected. 



Among the numerous lakes of North America that are 

 situated on the extreme edge of the Rocky Mountains and 

 the barren lands in sixty-four or sixty-five degrees north 

 latitude, the musk-sheep (for I must call it so) is occasion- 

 ally found, but when the traveler progresses farther to the 

 north-west it is no uncommon occurrence in a day's march 

 to see several herds ; in fact, they were so numerous that 

 the camp of a friend of mine was always well supplied with 

 them for food. Their flesh is excellent and nutritious when 

 fat, but quite the reverse when, by a long-protracted win- 

 ter, they become thin and attenuated. The flavor is much 

 the same as that of venison, although much coarser in the 

 grain, and is entirely free from any musky odor, except in 

 very old males during the rutting season. The ground 

 which they principally frequent is the same on which is 

 found the small caribou two species of this genus being 

 accredited to the North American continent immense 

 stretches of rolling, rocky steppes, most sparsely supplied 

 with vegetation, except where an occasional brook winds 

 its solitary course toward some giant river, rapidly hurry- 





