26 MAMMALS OF UTAH 



leaves, nor eat acorns. In some parts of Utah they probably 

 go entirely without water. 



The young are born in May, and the little fellows, usu- 

 ally two, follow the mother when two weeks old, but lie per- 

 fectly still at a signal from her. Flies cannot make them 

 even wink at such a time. 



In September the bands assemble and soon thereafter 

 the bucks begin their annual fighting. 



Family BOVIDAE. Oxen, Sheep, Goats 



Subfamily RUPICAPRINAE 



MOUNTAIN SHEEP 



OVIS CERVINA (Desmarest) 



Ovls cervina Desm., Nouv." Diet. Hist. Nat., 1804, p. 5. 



Ovis canadenis Shaw, Nat. Misc., 1804? pi. 610. 



Ovis ammon Mitch., Med. Rep., 1807, p. 35. 



Ovis pygargus H. Smith, Griff, Anim. Kingd., v, 1827, p. 318. 



Ovis califomianus Dougl., Zool. Journ., 1828, p. 332. 



Description — Much larger than the domestic sheep. 

 Horns, in the male very large, curving round, but rarely 

 completing a full circle, and with but little spiral twist, com- 

 pared with other species. The tips of the horns not more 

 than twenty inches apart. General color grayish brown, 

 paler about the head- a light patch under the lower jaw. 

 Legs like the body, with a narrow line of white on their 

 posterior edges. Buttocks, for some inches anterior to the 

 tail, and belly, white. Tail like the back. Female with 

 smaller horns more like those of the goat. Hoofs black; 

 horns yellowish brown. (Baird.) All desert specimens are 

 much paler in color than those inhabiting well-watered, 

 heavily forested regions. (Hornaday.) 



Distribution — The general range of this species is from 

 the high mountain ranges of the Colorado river north into 

 British Columbia. Brigham Spencer of Moab reports that 

 he has taken them on Escalante Creek, Garfield county, 

 Utah, and on the Grand river in Grand county. Carl P. 

 Arentson says there are 106 mountain sheep on the whole 

 Uinta mountain range. Clinton Milne of St. Geprge informs 

 me that there are a few mountain sheep in the pink ledges 

 of Little Zion canyon near Springdale, Washington county; 



