DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS OF ARGALI SHEEP 153 



Ovis sairensis. 



Characters : Size smaller than either O. amnion or 

 O. ammon or O. poli; the height at the shoulders being 

 about 3 ft. 2 ins. 



General colour of the upper parts of adult male in 

 summer pelage full rufous-brown, becoming blackish brown 

 on hinder part of head, withers, loins, rump tail, outer 

 surface of thighs, and underparts; face, except muzzle, 

 which is dirty white, grey-brown; legs gradually more and 

 more speckled with white hairs, till from just above the 

 knees and hocks downwards they become white; sides of 

 head, neck and throat speckled brownish-grey, becoming 

 impure white in the middle of the chest. Immature males 

 nearly uniform rufous-brown throughout. Females rufous- 

 brown on the upper parts, with a broad black streak extend- 

 ing from the back of the head to the loins, and widening 

 into a patch in the neighbourhood of the withers ; underparts 

 and legs nearly white. 



Horns of adult male in some respects intermediate 

 between ammon and poli, forming a close spiral of rather 

 more than a circle ; decidedly more massive than in poli, 

 with the front angle rounded off and thus more like the 

 typical race of ammon, although considerably smaller; those 

 of immature males distinctly angulated. In the adult male, 

 the horns of which the tips are broken, measure 46^ ins. 

 along the front curve, with a basal girth of about 15 J ins. 

 and a spread of 27 ins. The basal girth of the horns is 

 absolutely greater than in specimen of Ovis carelini, with 

 horns of greater length. 



Summary of characters of the Wild Sheep races. 



By comparing the above-mentioned races of Argali we 

 find that the difference in body size is not great, yet notice- 

 able. Most of the races seem to be of somewhat ' similar 

 average height. Ovis ammon seems however to attain 

 maximum height amongst the Argali and Ovis sairensis 

 probably minimum. 



The colour variation amongst the races is also on the 

 whole rather inconsiderable. It is to be noted that even 

 within the same race individuals may differ in the matter of 

 size and coloration of the pelage. 



The horns show certain differences in length, girth and 

 shape but the fundamental shape is the same. 



