1841.} A Monograph of the species of Wild Sheep. 885 



signs to the latter. Sir Gardner Wilkinson, however, confirms Burck- 

 hardt by informing us, that the Goat referred to is called in Arabic 

 Beddan, or Teytal^ the former appellation referring to the male only. 

 This author adds, that the present species " is found in the eastern 

 desert, principally in the ranges of primitive mountains, which, com- 

 mencing about lat. 28° 40', extend thence into Ethiopia and Abyssinia." 

 According to M. Riippell, " it is found in all North Africa above 18°, 

 in small families, and always upon the rocky hills ;" frequenting the 

 steepest and most inaccessible crags amid the woods and forests of 

 the Atlas, and descending only to drink. It is a wonderfully agile 

 leaper, even more so than the wild Sheep and Goats generally, and is 

 remarkable for always browsing in preference to grazing. The Ovis 

 ornata, figured by M. GeofFroy in the great French Work on Egypt, 

 would appear to be merely a small sized individual. 



The following may serve for definitions of the various ascertained 

 species of Wild Sheep that have been here described : — 



O. Polii, Blyth. O. cornibus maximis triquetris, angustis altissimis- 

 que ; angulis anterioribus eqaalibus : extrorsiim spiraliter gyratis, et 

 tarn prolongatis quam sunt cornua Arietum domesticorum longissima : 

 sulcis transversim indentatis ; colore pallido. Animal non cognotum 

 est, sed O. Ammoni magnitudine saltem hand inferius. Habitat apud 

 planitiem elavatam Pamir dictam, in Asia centrali. 



2 O. montana^ Desmarest. — O. cornibus maximis triquetris, cras- 

 sissimis, et saepe inter angulos tumidis, ad apicem compressioribus ; 

 sulcis transversim indentatis ; deorsum et antrorstim gyratis ad paral- 

 lelura, apicibus extrorsum eductis ; colore pallido, sed ssepe rufo-brun- 

 neo sufi'aso. Animal ad magnitudinem Cervi Elaphi appropinquans, 

 sed artubus brevioribus ; pilis griseo-fulvis pallidis, maculis genericis 

 super facie, pectore, artubusque fuscis ; cauda brevissima, et disco 

 albescente circundata. Habitat apud Americse septentrionalis montes 

 occidentalem versus. 



3. O. Ammon^ Pallas. — Diversitas hujus speciei ab prsecedente 

 non cognota est, quamvis patria differt, hcec in Siberia Orientali 

 habitante ; tertia alia species ambobus distincta regione intermedia 

 Kamtschatkae invenitur, itidem simillima, tamen (apparenter) facillimd 

 dignoscenda ; viz. 



5 u 



