OVIBOS MOSCHATUS. 3 



their tips black. The length of those belonging to the skeleton in the British Museum is 

 twenty-seven inches, following the curvature. In the yearling male, and the female 

 throughout life, they are small and separated by a space from each other, present a curva- 

 ture outwards and downwards, and are more cylindrical than in the male in the prime of 

 life. A similar difference in the horn development, depending upon the age and sex, is 

 observable in the Gnu, which also closely approaches the Musk Sheep in other points of 

 the skull. The hair on the throat and chest is long and straight, and together with that 

 on the lower jaw hangs clown like a beard or dewlap. This is shorter in the female than 

 in the male. The neck is short and covered with long matted curly hair of a dull grizzled 

 brown colour ; it stands erect between the shoulders, and gives the appearance of a hump, 

 as in the Yak. On the back and hips it is very long, but lies smoothly. From the shoulder, 

 sides, and thighs, it hangs down as far as the middle of the leg. In the middle of the back 

 it is of a lighter colour and not so long. The tail, three inches in length, is entirely 

 concealed by the long hair of the hips. Its shortness is a character which would differentiate 

 the animal from the Bos, Bubalus, and Bison. The body is defended from the cold by a 

 clothing of fine brownish ash-coloured wool, which, according to Hearne, falls off in the 

 summer. It was from this wool that M. Jeremie had gloves woven which were as soft and 

 glossy as silk. It is not present on the legs. These latter are short and stout, terminated 

 by unsymmetrical hoofs, the external being rounded, the internal pointed ; the soft frog is 

 partially covered with hair; the animal, as its name denotes, smells of musk. The number 

 of its teats is two instead of four, and it has no dewlap, 1 two points in which it is separated 

 from the Bos, Bubalus, and Bison, and closely allied to the Sheep. The dung also differs 

 most remarkably from that of those animals, assuming the form of round pellets indis- 

 tinguishable except in size from that of the Caribou 2 and the Alpine Hare. 3 The period of 

 gestation is, however, nine months, as in the true Oxen ; they take the male in August, and 

 bring forth their young in the end of May or beginning of June. 



The following measurements of animals killed by Lieut- McClintock, on Melville 

 Island, taken from p. 87 of the ' Zoology of H.M.S. Herald,' enables us to realise the 

 size of the animal. They are taken in inches and tenths. The weight of the males killed 

 on that island exceeded 700 pounds, of which 400 was meat, and they stood 10^ hands 

 high at the withers, or 42 inches. 



Musk Musk Musk Musk. 



Bull. Cow. Cow. Cow. 



From horns to the root of tail . . . 8G-0 70'5 64'0 62-0 



From the fore hoof to the top of the shoulder . 57'0 55 - 49";') 



From the hind hoof to the top of the rump . 510 — — — 



Length of tail . . . . 20 — — — 



Length of one horn .... 27"0 24-0 — 190 



From the tip of one horn to that of the other . 32"0 27*3 — 27*5 



1 Sir John Richardson. 2 De Blainville. 3 Hearne. 



