MARCO POLO'S SHEEP 



371 



Head of Marco Polo's Sheep. From David T. Uaiibury's specimen. 



MARCO POLO'S SHEEP (Ovis poll). 



In common with the following members of the genus Ovis, this 

 splendid sheep has the transverse wrinklings of the horns well developed, 

 and small glands are present on the face. The horns of the adult male 

 are characterised by their comparative slenderness and great length, 

 forming a spiral of more than one complete circle, with the front 

 angles typically well developed. The hind-quarters show a large 

 amount of white, extending over the greater part of the thighs ; and 

 in winter the throat is furnished with a voluminous ruff of long 

 white hairs, which disappears in summer. Height at shoulder about 

 4 feet, or perhaps rather less; weight of adult male about 22 

 stone. 



Distribution. — Typically the plateau of the Pamirs in Central Asia, 

 but represented by a closely allied race {0. poli karclitii) in the 

 Thian Shan range of Turkestan, in which the horns are generally 

 somewhat shorter, and may have the front outer angle rounded off 

 This sheep was first definitely made known in England by 



