8 ROCKY-MOUNTAIN SHEEP 



Body cylindricai, diaphanous, spotted with white at 

 the babe of the dorsal fin; tubercles none. 



Account of a North American Quadruped, supposed to be- 

 long to the Genus Ovk, by George Ord. 



ROCKY-MOUNTAIN SHEEP, 

 OVJS MOA'n'JA'^. 



In the Journal of Lewis and Clark, there is an ac- 

 count of a quadruped which appears to have not excited 

 that attention which it merits. The following extracts are 

 made from the above mentioned work: '^ Saw the skin of 

 a mountain sheep, which the Indians say lives among the 

 rocks in the mountains: the skin was covered with white 

 hair, the wool long, thick 'and coarse, with long coarse 

 hair on the top of the neck and thf^ back, resembling 

 somewhat the bristles of a goat." Vol. II. p. 49. 



^^ The shee; is found in many places, but mostly in 

 the timbered parts of the rocky mountains. They live in 

 greater numbers on the chain of mountains forming ihe 

 commenct ment of the woody country on the coast, and 

 passing the Columbia between the falls and rapids," Vol. 

 II. p. 169, 



The latter passage was written while our travellers 

 "wintered at the mouth of the Columbia river. But on 

 their return, at Brant Island, an Indian '^ offered two 

 sheep skins for sale: one, which was the skin of a full- 

 grown sheep, was as large as that of a common deer; the 

 second was smaller, and the head part, with the horns re- 

 mainiiig, was made into a cap, and highly prized as an 

 ornament by the owner. The Ciahelellahs informed us 



