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OF NEPAL. 135 



IL— The N AYAUR Wild Sheep. — Ovis Nayaur. (Mihi.) 

 Habitat. The Himalaya. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



The male? with large, accurately triangular, horns, flat above and 

 cultrated beneath; curved and wrinkled as in the common ram :* a 

 double coat : and beardless chin and neck. The female, with small, 

 strongly depressed, sub-erect, sub-recurved, and divergent, horns, obso- 

 letely wrinkled. 



In proceeding from the description of an individual of the genus 

 Capra to that of one belonging to the genus Ovis, it is scarcely possible 

 not to pause and pay a tribute to the elegant genius of Buffon. Defi- 

 cient, perhaps, in scientific precision, he yet studied nature with a truly 

 philosophic spirit ; and his pictures of the manners of animals are no less 

 useful than delightful. 



Nature having separated the sheep from the goat by no palpable 

 physical signs, we consult Linne in vain for directions under which genus 

 to place a newly discovered species of either; but, if we can procure liv- 

 ing individuals of the species, and so observe their demeanour, we have 

 but to turn to Buffon's lively and just contrast of the manners of the 

 two genera, to be satisfied as to whether our animal be goat or sheep. 



* Linne's specific character of xVrgali gives horns, " arcuated, semicircular and tlattish be- 

 neath" — that of Ovis Aries, " horns, compressed and lunatcd. " Now, Ovis Aries is tlie common 

 Ram: yet, Shaw snys the iiorns of Arg;ili arc curved and sliapcd like those of tlic common Ram ! 

 I do not understand all this; but may as will add, ere 1 concliulc tliis note, tliat my siipposeil ni.iie 

 Nai/aur has his luirns curved, and formed generally like the common H.im's horns, Horn which they 

 differ chiefly by being more accurately triangular. Are Arj^'ali's iiorns (rilalerul / 



