234 Two wild species of Sheep in the Himalayas. £No. 111. 



the now generally recognised diagnostics of the groups of the Bovjdce, 

 (Taurus, Bubalus, &c.) or who are ignorant of the shadowy nature 

 of the existing marks of discrimination between Antelope, Ovis, and 

 Capra, will, I apprehend, refuse to adopt the now suggested more 

 enlarged application of Cuvier's principles. Either those principles 

 are false, or this larger application of them is as legitimate as it is 

 requisite. On these principles, (as on others,) Cervus and Ovis re-" 

 present the extremes, and Antelopa and Capra the meaiis : but there 

 is a regular graduation from Cervus to Antelopa, from it to Capra, 

 and from it again to Ovis ; in such wise, however, that the two former 

 fall naturally into one great group, and the two latter into another, 

 Cervus and Ovis being the typical forms. And I may add as a proof 

 how useful the new diagnosis now proposed is, and how harmonious 

 in practice with other and admitted criterea, that, measured by this 

 standard, our Hemitragus (the Jharal) is as clearly a caprine form 

 as Ogilvy's Kemas (the Ghoral) is an antelopine one. Thus too the 

 affinity of the Musks and Muntjacs to Cervus, however apparently 

 anomalous they seem to be, is rendered palpably evident, and the 

 soundness of our diagnosis consequently further corroborated. 



With regard to Ovis and Capra 9 inter-se, Cuvier's ' forehead concave' 

 for the latter, and * forehead convex' for the former genus, are clearly 

 erroneous marks ; but those sometime since suggested by me, of 

 ' males odorous,' and ' males not odorous,' as respectively characteris- 

 tic of Capra and Ovis, I find confirmed by every day's experience : 

 nor is this discriminative sign dependent, as supposed, on season in 

 any degree, nor even on age after the animal has reached about four 

 months, so soon is the odour developed in Capra. 



Nipal, March t 1841. H. B. Hodgson. 



Explanation of the Illustrations. 

 I. — 1. 2. Front view of the horns and sculls of our two species of 

 Sheep, to prove their distinctness. 

 II.. — Sketch of Ovis Nahoor. 



III. — Lateral outline view of two sculls, designed to exhibit the 

 characteristic form in Cervus and Antelope (1) on the one hand, 

 and in Ovis and Capra (2) on the other : and I may add, that 

 the animals having been females, and not specially selected, the 

 distinction contended for is thus shown to be peculiarly valid. 



