140 DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS OF ARGALI SHEEP 



them on their only blind side ; for few beasts possess a more 

 highly developed sense of smell. In every other direction 

 their restless gaze wanders incessantly over the vast expanse 

 of smooth rolling grass and shale, across which, as a rule, 

 it is quite useless for a human being to attempt to> approach 

 them. If sheep have been driven into rougher and more 

 broken ground, as is often the case in the Tian Shan, where 

 it is impossible for them to take up a position commanding 

 an extensive view, they have the almost uncanny knack of 

 selecting a resting place where, owing to the formation of 

 the ground, the wind converges upon them, in all directions. 

 For this reason the horse-shoe-shaped head of a valley is 

 much favoured by them. " 



Page 331. "In the early morning and again in the 

 evening, they leave their impregnable position to graze. 

 The rolling nature of the ground which they then have to 

 pass over, gives the hunter his opportunity." 



This description of the habits of the Wild Sheep I con-" 

 sider so typical for the whole family, that on the whole it 

 may serve to give a true idea of most of the Argali-races. 

 Yet the different topographical conditions in the territories 

 of the several species may to so»me degree influence their 

 mode of life, resulting in different habits in different 

 localities 



Habits of 0. darwini. 



Kegarding Ovis darwini very little is known except 

 Przhevalskys' short statement that it favours the most 

 desolate parts of the desert. 



Habits of 0. commosa. 



The region of Ovis commosa stretches along the Ta 

 Tsing shan mountain range on the south border of the Mongolian 

 plateau (see map). These ranges extend on the whole in an 

 east-west direction and consist of the mountains Chara-Chada, 

 Suma-Chada, Charaktshin-Ola and Ongiin Ola in the east. 

 Westwards we have the In-shan mountains, Muni Ola 

 Sheiten Ola, etc. How far east and west Argali exists in 

 these ranges is still imperfectly known but it is stated that 

 they occur to a "distance of at least 200 miles west of Kuei- 

 Hua-Ch'eng city. (Boy Chapman Andrews). 



It is more than probable that in the past the whole range 

 has been inhabited by Argali, the distribution then probably 

 extending as far as the Khingan mountains at the eastern 

 border of the Mongolian plateau. As mentioned before the 



