DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS OF ARGALI SHEEP 133 



We propose to establish the following divisions and to 

 describe the Wild Sheep in Central Asia in the following 

 order : & 



1- — Ovis amnion typica. 



2. — Ovis darwini (?). 



3.— Ovis commosa (formerly called jubata). 



4. — Ovis hodgsoni. 



5. — Ovis poli. 



6. — Ovis carelini. 



7. — Ovis littledalei. 



8. — Ovis sairensis. 



Ovis ammon typica. 



This race is at present distributed over the entire Great 

 Altai or Mongolian Altai Bange until its eastern termination ; 

 furthermore m the isolated range Baitik Bogdo south of the 

 Altai proper; also in other more or less outlying ranges in 

 the easternmost extension of Altai. Also along the Little 

 Altai to Turgan or Kundelun where it probably has its 

 eastern limit, though formerly it was also found on the 

 southern slopes of Tannu-Ola. 29 



Ovis darwini. 



Was found by the Eussian explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky 

 on his journeys in 1876-1877. P. does not give any detailed 

 description, but only the following short notes : 



"Between Galbyin — Gobi and the Churdu range we 

 discovered a new species of Argali, which I named Ovis 

 darwini in honour of the famous English scientist Charles 

 Darwin. The difference between the various species of 

 mountain sheep is slight, but yet noticeable. The newly 

 discovered species seems to prefer the most desolate parts of 

 the desert. We shot two specimens." 



The Churdu range belongs to the easternmost, somewhat 

 isolated ranges running parallel with the Altai and conse- 

 quently we may assume that Przhevalsky 's 0. darwini is 

 probably only a variation of 0. ammon. 



In the nature of additional evidence we have in 

 D. Carruthers, Unknown Mongolia, Vol. II, page 346 the 

 following notes regarding this part of the Altai range : 



Though more than one Eussian explorer mentions 

 having met with sheep in the Eastern Altai, it is to Sir 



29 Carruthers, Unknown Mongolia, page 627. 



