58 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 
persons is to me a mystery. Plainly do its appearance, 
habits, etc., designate it as a member of the Ovis family, 
instead of the Bos. However, Blainville, a naturalist of 
good reputation, to avoid censure, boldly seizes both, and 
designates it Qvibos, thereby claiming a distinct standing 
and title to the honor of representing a new genus by adopt- 
ing the sobriquet of two old ones. Audubon does likewise, 
and heads his chapters on these animals with the title of 
“Genus Ovibos.” As an authority on American natural 
history, the latter is entitled to the highest consideration. 
At the same time, I can not help feeling that the name 
adopted is a shuffling pretext to prevent controversy, and 
the possibility of making a mistake that in future years 
would require to be corrected. 
Among the numerous lakes of North America that are 
situated on the extreme edge of the Rocky Mountains and 
the barren lands in sixty-four or sixty-five degrees north 
latitude, the musk-sheep (for I must call it so) is occasion- 
ally found, but when the traveler progresses farther to the 
north-west it is no uncommon occurrence in a day’s march 
to see several herds; in fact, they were so numerous that 
the camp of a friend of mine was always well supplied with 
them for food. Their flesh is excellent and nutritious when 
fat, but quite the reverse when, by a long-protracted win- 
ter, they become thin and attenuated. The flavor is much 
the same as that of venison, although much coarser in the 
grain, and is entirely free from any musky odor, except in 
very old males during the rutting season. The ground 
which they principally frequent is the same on which is 
found the small caribou—two species of this genus being 
accredited to the North American continent — immense 
gtretches of rolling, rocky steppes, most sparsely supplied 
with vegetation, except where an occasional brook winds 
its solitary course toward some giant river, rapidly hurry- 
