204 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



posed the name Ovis pachycerca, as he considered 

 that it represented a distinct specific stock, although 

 there is not the sHghtest justification for such an 

 opinion; their peculiarities being such as might" 

 perfectly well be the result of long domestication. 

 To distinguish them from the tailless group, they 

 may be collectively referred to as black-headed 

 fat-rumped sheep. 



As special characteristics of the group may 

 be mentioned the absence or rudimentary con- 

 dition of the horns of the rams ; the excess in 

 length of the lower over the upper jaw ; the 

 strongly developed dewlap, which often extends 

 downwards to the chest ; the lack of throat-tags ; 

 the short stumpy tail, which appears as a kind of 

 knob between the fatty cushions on the rump ; 

 and the short, sleek, shining coat of hair, which 

 is shortest on the face, ears, and tail, and longest on 

 the under-parts. Not less distinctive is the black- 

 ness of the head and neck, and the white, with a 

 tinge of yellow, of the body and limbs. The 

 rudimentary horns of the rams, when present, are 

 black, as are also the hoofs ; occasionally there 

 may be black patches on the shanks of the legs. 

 In the typical Somali representative of this group 

 the head is small, rather short than long, somewhat 

 high and broad behind, but narrow and bluntly 

 pointed in front. The forehead is highly convex 

 and separated by a transverse trough from the 



