292 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



The type specimen of the Gila bighorn was a 

 ewe, which is stated to differ from mexicana and 

 nelsoni by its inferior size and relatively smaller 

 feet. From Texan specimens of the former in 

 winter coat it is said to be distinguished by the 

 absence of white on the muzzle, so that the entire 

 head is uniformly coloured. The narrow dark spinal 

 stripe usually present in nelsoni is lacking. 



The last of the more typical races of the bighorn 

 is O. c. cremnobates^ from Mattomi, San Pedro 

 Martir Mountains, Lower California, but probably 

 also occurring in the neighbouring Laguna Moun- 

 tains. It is described as resembling O. c. nelsoni, 

 but much lighter in colour — the head being in some 

 cases nearly white — with the rump-patch small 

 and not divided by any perceptible line from the 

 dark area ; the front of the legs is nearly black, 

 as in stonei ; and the skull is unusually wide between 

 the eye-sockets. Dr. Elliot states that the colour 

 of the upper-parts varies from drab-grey or pale 

 broccoli-brown to hair-brown or whitey-brown ; but 

 in some cases this sheep appears almost white. 

 Compared with mexicana, its general colour may be 

 described as whitey-brown instead of drab-brown. 



It will not fail to be noticed from the foregoing 

 descriptions that some of the more southern races 

 differ from the Rocky Mountain bighorn by the 

 greater length of the ears ; on the other hand, the 



' D. G. Elliot, Pub. Field Columbian Mus., vol. iii. p. 239, 1903. 



