184/.] On the tame Sheep, fyc. of Tibet. 1005 



and their flat points again more or less reverted outwards and backwards, 

 sometimes so much as to describe a second circular curve, whereby the 

 twist becomes spirate : also, short deer-like tails ; and, lastly, no beard 

 nor mane. Requesting the reader to keep these general designatory 

 marks of all true sheep in mind, I now proceed to exhibit in the par- 

 ticular portrait of each tame breed, the special modifications to which 

 these primitive marks are subjected by domestication, as well as the 

 other and more popular traits of each breed. 



1. Ovis hunia. — The Hunia of western, and Haluk of eastern, 

 Tibet. This tall and graceful animal is the blackfaced or polycerate 

 sheep of Thibet, the especial breed of that country, and one which is 

 well known to European visitors of the western Himalayas, as the com- 

 mon beast of burden for the transit of the snowy region, being singu- 

 larly docile and sure-footed. The Hunia is a large species, measuring 

 4 to 4^ feet in length from the snout to the vent, and 2\ to 2 J feet in 

 height. Head to occiput (straight) 11 to 11^ inches. Tail only, 4-£ 

 to 5| inches. Tail and wool, 6|- to 1\ inches. Ears 4^ to 5^ inches. 

 Girth behind the shoulder 3 feet to 3^ feet. Maximum length of the 

 horns along the curve 18 to 20 inches, and maximum girth at their base 

 6 to 7 inches. "Both sexes have usually horns, and the males are almost 

 never devoid of them, the females, rarely. The horns of the Hunia are 

 distinguished for attenuation and consequent separation at their bases. 

 But these characters are only relative, like those of the comparative 

 smoothness of the horns, and their higher compression as contrasted 

 with the horns of the wild race, as well as of some of the tame ones 

 that will follow. For the rest, the horns of the Hunia exhibit with suffici- 

 ent distinctness the characters both of form and curvative proper to the 

 wild type, being triangular, compressed, transversely wrinkled, and 

 curving circularly to the sides so as to describe two -thirds of a perfect 

 sphere, when their smooth flat points are again reverted outwards and 

 sometimes backwards, and so much so as to describe a second nearly 

 perfect circle. I have not noticed this tendency to the spiral or cork- 

 screw twist in the wild race. It is only very imperfect in the tame, and 

 such as it is, is the product of advanced age, very probably equally 

 characterising the wild race in old age. The moderate-sized head of 

 the Hunia has great depth, moderate width, and considerable attenua- 

 tion to the fine oblique muzzle, which shows not the least sign of nudi- 



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