! \B DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS OF ARGALI SHEEP 



Horn of male is very massive, long and curving much 

 out wards at the tips which are generally entire, so as to 

 form considerably more than a complete circle; usually both 

 front angles are much round off. 41 



Mr. J. H. Millar gives the following description of 



colour. 42 . 



In autumn coat the coloration of an old ammon ram 

 is very striking. The nose is white, forehead and cheeks 

 grey-brown, neck and upper part of the body dark chocolate, 

 freely sprinkled with white hairs which slightly predominate 

 on the shoulders and along the back. This gives them a very 

 grizzled appearance. The belly and rump-patch are white, 

 legs grey-mottled above and white below the knees. In full 

 winter coat an ammon ram is of a dirty white colour on the 

 body and neck, and pure white on the nose, legs and rump. 

 The ammon differs from nearly all other large Central Asian 

 sheep in that he does not grow a long neck-ruff. In summer 

 the coat is exceedingly short, but in winter it lengthens all 

 over the body and neck to about two inches. 



Ovis darwini. 



It has been mentioned that the Eussian explorer N. 

 Przhevalsky on his journey in Central Asia 1876-77 believed 

 that he had found a new species and called it after Charles 

 Darwin. Its nature as distinct new species is however 

 somewhat problematical and P. does not give any informa- 

 tion regarding its bodily characteristics, size, horns, etc. 



Ovis commosa. 



Does not attain the size of Ovis ammon, but an old ram 

 may yet reach 45 inches at the shoulder though few grow to 

 that height. Twelve full-grown rams were measured by my- 

 self with the following result : 41^ ins. ; 42 ins. ; 42| ins. ; five 

 at 43 ins. ; 43^ ins. ; 44f ins. ; 45J ins. ; 45^ ins. Of these the 

 largest horns were carried by a ram measuring 43| ins. at 

 the shoulder. The length from tip of nose to tip of tail 

 varied between 60 ins. and 65| ins. The horns do not attain 

 the length of ammon but exceed them in girth. The follow- 

 ing are probably the largest known measures. 



Length Basal girth 



47£ ins., tops broken off 19-| ins. My own 



47 ,, ,, ,, ,, 20 ins. Koy Chapman Andrews 



52 ,, 19 J ins. A. de C. Sowerby 



Lydekker : Wild Oxen, etc. /p. 177. 



Carruthers : Unknovm Mongolia, Vol. II, p. 339. 



