5° 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



I FOLNll HICKS SKAll-D LI'llN A I,t)(. Willi A SMIW-WHllh I A M I 



had under observation about fifteen miles of 

 the mountain range. 



For a week we spent the entire time at these 

 lookout posts, watching the bands of sheep, 

 and hoping that lambs would be born. Sev- 

 eral black bears were seen feeding close to 

 timberline, and often they were so near the 

 sheep as to cause us uneasiness. Once we 

 made an effort to capture two cubs that were 

 following their mother, but they evaded us. 



When the clouds obscured the mountains 

 we were often unable to find the sheep until 

 late in the afternoon. It was remarkable how 

 little they moved about when feeding. For 

 two or three days a herd would remain in the 

 same place, but of course taking to the rocks 

 at night. Once a herd must have been 

 alarmed during the night, for when we sighted 

 it the following morning it was almost over 

 the divide. To us in the valley it seemed as 

 if no living creature other than a bird or 

 squirrel could possibly secure footing where 

 they stood. Several times after hours of 

 watching what seemed to be lifeless crags, 

 sheep have walked out from crevices as 

 though from the solid rocks. 



We were in constant fear that something 

 would happen which might cause our trip to 

 fail. For instance, should the sheep decide to 

 change their feeding grounds, or become badly 

 frightened by a bear or wolf, they might cross 

 the range, and even if we knew the "direction 

 they took it would be almost impossible to 

 follow. The greatest danger, however, lay 

 in the possibility of a storm which would en- 

 velop the mountains in clouds, for should 



lambs be born at such a time, 

 the proljabilities were that 

 before we could find them 

 the\- would be so strong and 

 agile we would be unable to 

 capture them. 



Meanwhile Hicks and Billy 

 patiently kept their band of 

 sheep under observation. At 

 one time four new animals 

 joined it, but a few days later 

 became frightened, made to 

 the top of the mountain 

 where they remained sev- 

 eral days, and finally left 

 altogether. 



Hicks reported that for 

 two days one of the ewes 

 had acted strangely, restless 

 when feeding, lying down 

 more than usual, and tak- 

 ing little interest in the 

 wanderings of its associates. 

 This naturally led us to 

 believe the long-looked-for time was near. 



One forenoon before leaving camp, three 

 sheep appeared on the mountains directly op- 

 posite. They were traveling from the direc- 

 tion frequented by the sheep Andrew and I 

 had been watching, and naturally we supposed 

 them part of our band. This supposition was 

 correct, for after spending the day at our 

 customary station, our ewes could not be 

 found. The next morning we climbed the 

 mountain opposite camp, determined if pos- 

 sible to locate them. Tracks leading west were 

 crossed, but it was not until just before start- 

 ing for the valley that they were espied in the 

 crags, on a mountain far to the west. 



Returning to camp I loaned Andrew my 

 rifle and gave him several " miniature " shells 

 to use on rabbits. Soon afterward I heard 

 shots in the timber west of camp. I knew they 

 must have been fired by either Hicks or Billy, 

 and thinking possibly they had shot at a bear, 

 I took Andrew's gun and ran down the bank 

 of the creek, hoping to secure a shot. Wait- 

 ing a few minutes I started for camp, and soon 

 saw Billy ahead of me, carrying two guns. He 

 said Hicks was in camp with a lamb. Much to 

 my joy I found Hicks seated on a log, with a 

 beautiful snow-white lamb standing rather un- 

 steadily in front of him. The story of its capt- 

 ure is best told in the words of Hicks. 



" For some time after reaching the place 

 where we had watched the sheep, the one that 

 had acted so strangely could not be found. 

 An hour or so later, it walked out of a gully 

 among the rocks, a lamb following. It was 

 about half a mile above timberline, in the cen- 



