CHAPTER IX. 



BIG-HORN AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 



THE big-horn and Rocky Mountain sheep are to the Con- 

 tinent of North America what the ibex and chamois are to 

 Europe. However, there is no great similarity of appear- 

 ance between these representatives of the Eastern and West- 

 ern world, although the differences are no greater than 

 can be found between races of sheep and goats. From 

 what I have said, the reader will be prepared to learn that 

 both these interesting animals are inhabitants of mountain 

 districts, searching for their food and enjoying their gam- 

 bols upon the verge of the precipitous sierras, where mor- 

 tals' tread dare not touch, where the slightest false step, 

 the slightest hesitation, would hurl them down to inevita- 

 ble destruction. 



The elevation of the situations they select for their rest- 

 ing-places is doubtless governed by temperature : thus they 

 ascend to greater altitudes in summer than in winter; at 

 the siime time, if compelled through alarm, they will un- 

 hesitatingly retire into regions covered with perpetual 

 snow, and nature seems to have so well provided for such 

 occasions that they appear to do so without suffering in- 

 convenience. From my own experience, I have formed the 

 conclusion that both the above animals are partially noc- 

 turnal ; by this I do not wish it to be understood that they 

 wander about when it is impenetrably dark, but that when 

 starlight or moonlight occurs, they avail themselves of its 

 use to descend from their mountain fastnesses into the 

 valleys beneath in search of favorite food, a performance 



