676 



DR. F. H. H. GUILLKMARD ON OVIS NIVICOLA. [June 1 G, 



that there were a few Sheep here, but that it was very difficult to "•at 

 them except in winter. As our time was limited, our chances of 

 obtaining them were not considered promising enough to stop. 

 Narcheeki also, in the Bolcheresk valley, was mentioned to us as 

 another locality, a fact we were ourselves able to verify, as the 

 natives had killed a young male only a few days previous to our 

 arrival. 



On reaching the neighbourhood of the magnificent volcanoes 

 which guard the lower part of the Great Kamscliatka River, I again 

 made inquiries as to the existence of Ovis nicicola on their slopes, 

 hut was told that there were none. 1 cannot vouch, however, for 

 the truth of the statement, as the natives live in superstitious awe 

 of the mountains, and have never ascended them to any height. We 

 had thus traversed the country without obtaining a single specimen ; 

 and we should have returned empty-handed had it not been for a 

 Russian sable hunter accompanying our expedition, who informed us 



Fig. 1. 



Head of Ovis nivicola, 



that he had seen and shot several on the sea-L'liffs of the east coast, 

 some fifty miles E.N.E. of Petropaulovsky. On our return voyage 

 from Behring Island we accordingly shaped our course for this spot ; 

 and on nearing the land we could distinctly make out small herds of 

 the animals of which we were in search on the slopes of the cliffs, 

 which here rose to a height of five or six hundred feet. Finding a 

 good anchorage we at once arranged to stay, and in two days we 

 brought to bag no less than thirteen individuals, all of which were 

 full-grown males. 



The general colour of the Kamschatkan Wild Sheep is a brownish 

 grey, and the hair of those obtained by us at the end of the month of 

 September was very long and thick. The head and neck are more 

 distinctly grey than the rest of the body. Forehead with an ill- 

 marked darker patch ; upper and under lip greyish white. Anterior 

 aspect of the limbs dark glossy brown ; a line running down posterior 

 aspect white. Tail short, dark brown ; centre of belly and rump 



