3o6 THE SHEEP AND ITS COUSINS 



under-parts, the inner and hind surfaces of the legs, 

 and the buttocks as far as the root of the tail are 

 white. The dark stripe down the fore-leg is inter- 

 rupted by a white patch at the knee. The horns 

 are blackish olive, and may measure as much as 32 

 inches in length, with a basal girth of rather more 

 than 13 inches, and a tip-to- tip interval of some 22 

 inches. The ewe of the bharal is much less strik- 

 ingly coloured than the ram, lacking the black 

 markings of the latter at all ages. 



The geographical distribution of the bharal 

 extends from near Shigar in Baltistan, and near 

 Sanju, south-east of Yarkand, through Ladak to 

 Moupin and Shen-si in western China, as well as 

 the adjacent parts of Tibet, and from the main 

 Himalayan axis, or in places the high ground south 

 of it, to the Kuenlun and Altyn Tagh. Bharal 

 are never found below about 10,000 feet; and in 

 summer are usually seen from about 14,000 to 

 16,000 feet. 



" In habits as in structure," writes Dr. Blanford,* 

 "the bharal is intermediate between the sheep and 

 the goats. Like the former it is found on undulat- 

 ing ground, and frequently lies down during the 

 day on its feeding-ground, though generally amongst 

 stones ; but, like the latter, it is a splendid climber, 

 perfectly at home on precipitous cliffs, and wont, 

 when alarmed, to take refuge in ground inaccessible 



' Fauna of British India — Mammalia, p. 501. 



