226 



UNGULATES. 



Habits. 



In Sardinia the mouflon, instead of being found on all the 

 mountain ranges, are restricted to certain chains, and there they 

 frequent only the highest ridges, generally confining themselves to such peaks as 

 command a view of the whole of the surrounding country. The flocks of mouflon 

 are led by an old and powerful ram ; but at the pairing-season the large flocks 

 used to split up into small parties, consisting of one ram and several ewes. The 

 rams engage in fierce conflicts among themselves for the supremacy ; and 

 during the months of December and January the mountains re-echo with the 



'^i#^5~- ; 



THE MOUFLON (^ nat. size). 



sound of the blows as one ram rushes against the head of another. The lambs — 

 either one or two at a birth — are produced during April or May ; and are able in a 

 few days to follow their dams everywhere. Mr. E. N. Buxton states that the 

 Sardinian mouflon is one of the most difficult animals to approach with which he 

 is acquainted. He observes that "when they are alarmed, or at 'gaze,' they have 

 a habit, or at least the rams have, of placing themselves in the middle of a bush of 

 macquia, or in the shadow which it casts. The ewes, who are naturally less con- 

 spicuous, do this in a less degree. The mouflon are assisted by the wonderful 

 alertness of their eyes." Later on Mr. Buxton writes that " one of their favourite 



