3 6 THE DOMESTICATION OF ANIMALS 



THE WILD ANCESTORS OF DOMESTIC SHEEP 



The wild blood which has gone to form our Scottish breeds 

 seems to be mainly that of the Mouflon (Ovis ^musimori) 

 (Fig. 5), the last wild remnants of which are confined to 

 Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily, and of the Asiatic Urial (Ovis 

 vignei]. These wild species more resemble goats than sheep 

 as we are accustomed to think of them. They are extremely 

 active and agile, moving from one ledge to another when pur- 



Fig. 5. Mouflon a wild ancestor of domestic sheep, y 1 ^ nat. size. 



sued, with such sureness and rapidity that they are almost un- 

 approachable. In both species the rams carry heavy, wrinkled 

 horns which curve backwards and then down and forwards 

 in a fine regular sweep, but while the ewes of the Mouflon 

 are hornless, those of the Urial bear short upright goat-like 

 horns. Differences in size and colour also distinguish the 

 two species: the Mouflon race stands 27^ inches at the 

 shoulder, the Urial 32 inches; while in both the hair on the 

 body is short and close with a thick underwool, the general 



