862 A Monograph of the species of Wild Sheep. [No. 119. 



double, or forming a second plane at a slight angle with the superior 

 one, and the inferior angle (if such it can be called) much rounded 

 off: the greatest depth of the horn is about 6 inches ; from base of front 

 angle to tip they measure 1 1 inches ; and the tips apart 26 inches. 

 They are everywhere strongly furrowed across, more particularly 

 in front, the intervals between the grooves swelling out considera- 

 bly ; and they gradually become, as in all the rest of the genus, 

 more compressed to the extremity. 



Of the O. nivicola of M. Eschscholtz, that naturalist writes : " The 

 specimen described is a male in winter garb, measuring 5 feet 

 (French ?) in total length, and 2 feet 5 inches high. Its outer coat is 

 of a yellowish-grey colour, brighter on the under parts, and inclining 

 to straw-yellow on the head and neck ; the markings in front of 

 the limbs are of a rust colour ; horns equilaterally triangular, 3 inches 

 thick at base, and gyring outwards to form one complete spiral circle, 

 10 inches in diameter, and having their points directed outwards 

 and forwards ; the upper and posterior portions of the horn are 

 level, and marked with deep annual indentations, which succes- 

 sively measure 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, and 1^ inches, making eight years of 

 total growth, besides which, there are numerous minor indentations or 

 ordinary cross strise, but no protuberant intervals." From the figure 

 they would seem not to bulge between the angles, as is usual, though 

 not invariably the case, with the Rocky Mountain species ; as also to 

 be somewhat more tensely spiral, as if pulled a little outward. The 

 appearance both described and figured at the base of the fore-limbs 

 externally, I suspect to be nothing more than the axilla, that had been 

 twisted outwards in the mounting of the specimen. M. Eschscholtz 

 describes this animal to be very numerous on the mountains of Kamts- 

 chatka, residing upon the snow-clad heights in summer, and descend- 

 ing to the lower regions in winter. A notice of its Chamois-like 

 agility occurs in the Narrative of Kotzebue's Voyage from 1823 

 to 1826. 



In the 18th volume of the Asiatic Researches, (part ii,) Mr. Hodg- 

 son, of Nepal, gives a figure of a horned female of the Nahoor Sheep, 

 and also of the skull and horns of a young Ram, which he erroneously 

 refers to that species as since described by him. He also mentions 

 having once possessed a pair of the horns, which he *' could only lift 



