THE SHEEP. 



"3 



bordering on the Mediterranean (for it was 

 formerly found in Greece, on the island of 

 Sicily, and the Balearic Islands) is at the 

 present day confined to Corsica and Sardinia, 

 and chiefly 

 met with on 

 the latter, 

 where it is still 

 to be seen in 

 the mountain 

 chains of the 

 east and centre 

 in pretty nu- 

 merous herds 

 under the lead 

 of an old male. 

 The head has a 

 curved profile, 

 that of the 

 male resem- 

 bles the head 

 of a ram. The 

 horns describe 

 a curve of 

 three-fourths 

 of a circle; at 

 the base the\ 

 are triangular 

 in section, 

 towards the 

 end laterally 

 compressed 

 and marked 

 with promi- 

 nent rings. 

 The female is 



Fig. 189. — The Musimon or European Mouflon [Ovis musimon). 



quarters are whitish. A whitish or yellowish 

 spot is to be seen especially on the winter 

 fleece on the flanks. Like all wild sheep the 

 musimon is lively and agile, a good leaper 



and climber, 

 and does not 

 allow anyone 

 to approach it 

 easily. It is 

 much hunted 

 for the sake 

 of its excellent 

 flesh. It is 

 now to be seen 

 in all zoologi- 

 cal gardens. 

 It is easily ren- 

 dered tame, 

 but exhibits a 

 peculiar stub- 

 bornness in its 

 attacks on the 

 bars of its 

 cage. There 

 was once in 

 the Jardin des 

 Plantes at 

 Paris a musi- 

 mon which 

 took it into its 

 head to break 

 through a cer- 

 tain part of 

 its inclosure. 

 Every day it 

 made fierce 



often entirely without horns ; when present at 

 all they are small and straight. The animal 

 possesses a sturdy thickset body, with long 

 thick legs and a small tail, which is naked at 

 the lower end and is bent between the legs. 

 Tear-pits and interdigital glands are present. 

 The fleece is short and thick, and is composed 

 of coarse hairs rather longer on the throat 

 and breast than elsewhere. The under sur- 

 face, the inner sides of the legs, and the hind- 



VOL. 11. 



attacks for several hours together against this 

 spot, part of which had been strengthened with 

 thicker stakes. The blows which it gave in 

 butting with its horns were heard to a great 

 distance. 1 1 would easily have broken through 

 any other part of its inclosure, but it did not 

 think of that, and for at least a year I con- 

 tinued to hear it from the workroom which 

 M. Laurillard had given up to me, regularly 



repeating its onslaughts on the chosen spot. 



47 



