678 



LIEUT.-COL. J. BIDDULPH ON THE 



[June 16, 



Measurements in the flesh of the thirteen individuals obtained 

 were also taken, and are as follows : — 



The above measurements are in English inches. 



The animals seemed to confine themselves to the precipitous slopes 

 of the sea-cliffs, and were in small herds of from three to nine indi- 

 viduals, all of which apparently were males between the ages of tliree 

 and six years. As in the case of other Wild Sheep, the females and 

 young males doubtless keep apart ; but we were not fortunate enough 

 to discover their liabitat, neither could we obtain any information 

 about them from the natives. 



I regret to say that the two skeletons we prepared were lost during 

 a typhoon encountered by the ' Marchesa ' in the China seas on her 

 return voyage. 



8. On the Geographical Races of the Rocky-Mouutain 

 Bighorn. By Lieut.-Col. John Biddxjlph^ F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived June 16, 1885.] 



In the * Proceedings of the United-States National Museum ' for 

 last year, Mr. Nelson has given the name of Ovis montaiia dalli 

 to the "Wild Sheep of Alaska, which he describes as a new geogra- 

 phical race of the Bighorn of the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Nelson 

 relates that he saw two individuals in a wild state, and many hundreds 

 of skins of the species, while he was in Alaska. He states that it 

 inhabits suitable localities all over Alaska and in British North 

 America. Few details of description are given in the paper, but a 

 fuller account is promised in a general list of Alaskan Mammals now 

 in course of preparation. Beyond stating that it is of a uniform 

 dirty-white colour, so that the posterior disk is indistinguishable, and 

 that its horns are smaller, Mr. Nelson points out no differences 

 between specimens of the Alaskan species or variety and specimens 

 from the United States. 



Having devoted some time to studying the Wild Sheep both of 

 Asia and America, I had noticed the fact that there are two 

 distinct types to be distinguished among the North-Americau Wild 

 Sheep before I had seen Mr. Nelson's paper ; but I will not at 

 present go so far as to say that they constitute two distinct species. 



