2 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 52 



I am unable to find any characters by which they can be distinguished 

 either generically or specifically from existing American sheep, not- 

 withstanding Mr. Cragin's belief (Colorado College Studies, Vol. 8, 

 p. 23, April, 1900) that they " differed widely " from the correspond- 

 ing bones of these animals. 



The similarity in both size and form between the type specimen, 

 the humerus, of " Ncinorhardiis palmeri " and the humeri of three 

 bighorns is made sufficiently evident by the photographs reproduced 

 in plates i and 2. Individual peculiarities can be seen in the cave bone 

 as in each of the others ; but the specimen appears to be characterized 

 by nothing more important. 



Finally, the condition of the femur is such as to lend no support to 

 the idea that the bone pertained to a member of the Pleistocene fauna. 

 There is no indication of mineralization. On protected parts there are 

 thin deposits of a fine reddish dust that is readily removed with water, 

 leaving the surface clean and fresh in appearance. When charred a 

 small fragment gives off the characteristic odor of burned bone. 



In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I therefore have no hesi- 

 tation in regarding the name Nciuorhccdns palmeri Cragin as a 

 synonym of Ovis canadensis Shaw. Mr. Warren writes me under 

 date of August 18, 1930, that the type locality is " Glen Eyrie," the 

 former home of General Palmer, for whom the supposed new species 

 was named. This place is in a valley or canyon about five miles north- 

 west of Colorado Springs, across the " Mesa." 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES 1 AND 2 

 All figures about two-thirds natural size 



Fig. I. Ovis dalli Nelson. Female. Lapierre House, Yukon, Canada. No. 20963, 



U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 Fig. 2. Type of Nefnorhoedus palmeri Cragin. Near Colorado Springs, El Paso 



County, Colorado. No. 255680, U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 Fig. 3. Ovis sp. Male. Exact locality unknown (received alive from D. E. 



Wintermute, Gila, Arizona). No. 4977", L". S. Nat. Mus. 

 Fig. 4. Oz'is canadensis Shaw. Male. Delta County, Colorado. No. 49704, 



U. S. Nat. Mus. 



