1885.] 



ROCKY-MOUNTAIN BIGHORN. 



681 



The American Bighorns have a -wide range. They are found 

 along the whole course of the Rocky Mountains, both on their 

 eastern and -western slopes, as far south as Sonora and New Mexico, 

 about lat. 3\° {Schott), and extending to the furthest northern point 

 of suitable ground to lat. G8° {Audubon). They are also found in 

 the lesser mountain-chains extending from British Columbia to Cali- 

 fornia along the eastern Pacific Coast (Baird), and in Alaska (Dull). 

 It will not therefore be strange if more than one species should be 

 proved to exist. Further evidence is needed to show where the 

 northern race or species has its southernmost limit, and to which the 

 original specific name caiiadensis was applied. Specimens from 

 the Yellowstone River have somewhat less massive horns than those 

 from Wyoming and Colorado, but in other respects belong to the 

 southern race. Baird also figures the horns of a specimen from 

 Cahfornia, on the 3.5th parallel of latitude, which measure only 

 thirteen inches in circumference at the base, and apparently 

 approximate in character to those of the northern race. 



As some confusion exists as to the names already applied to the 

 Bighorn, it may be useful to give an account of the most important 

 references to it. The earliest notice is to be found in the account of 

 California by Father Picolo, one of the first Catholic missionaries 

 who visited that country in 1697 (Abridg. Phil. Trans. London,- 

 vol. V. p. 459). He describes it as a sort of Deer. " It is as large 

 as a calf of one or two years old ; its head is much like that of a 

 Stag ; its horns, which are very large, like those of a Ram ; its tail 



