NORTH AMERICA. 



81 



Rocky Mountain Goat. 



The Rocky Mountain Goat {Capra Montana) inhabits the most lofty peaks of the Rocky 

 Mountains, seldom descending so near the low country as the Rocky Mountain sheep. Their 



manners are said to resemble greatly those 

 of the domestic goat. The exact limits of 

 the range of this animal have not been as- 

 certained, but it probably extends from the 

 40th to the 60th or 65th degree of latitude. 

 It is common on the elevated part of the 

 range that gives origin to the Mackenzie, 

 Oregon, Nelson, and Missouri rivers. The 

 fine wool which this animal produces, grows 

 principally on the back and hips, and is in- 

 termixed with long coarse hair. The skin 

 is thick, and is used for moccasins. 



The Rocky Mountain Sheep (^Ovis 

 Americana) inhabit the lofty chain of moun- 

 tains from whence they derive their name, 

 from its northern termination in latitude 

 68'^ to about latitude 40°, and most likely 

 still further south. They also frequent the 

 elevated and craggy ridges with which the 

 country between the great mountain range 

 and the Pacific is intersected ; but they do 

 not appear to have advanced further to the 

 eastward than to the declivity of the Rocky 

 Mountains, nor are they found in any of the 

 hilly ti-acts nearer to Hudson's Bay. Their 

 favorite feeding places are grassy knolls 

 skirted by craggy rocks, to which they can 

 retreat when pursued by dogs or wolves. 

 They are accustomed to pay daily visits to 

 certain caves in the mountains that are en- 

 crusted with a saline efflorescence, of which 

 they are fond. The flesh is said, by those 

 who have fed on it, to be quite delicious 

 when it is in season, far superior to that of 

 any of the deer species which frequent the 

 same quarter, and even exceeding in flavor 

 the finest English mutton. This animal is 

 called by the hunters Bighorn, from the 

 great size of the horns, which are some- 

 times one foot in circumference at the 

 base. 



North America. The common brown wolf (Canis 

 lupus) ^ which was formerly spread over a great 

 part of the continent, and which is not yet extermi- 

 nated even in the inhabited parts of the United 

 States, nearly resembles the European wolf, but ap- 

 pears to differ from it in some respects. The gray 

 wolf, which is numerous in the more northern re- 

 gions, is perhaps also a distinct variety. The habits 

 and character, however, are very similar ; though 

 cruel and bloodthirsty, and, at times when pressed 

 by hunger, bold, they are in general timid. They 

 run down the deer and fox, and in the vicinity of 

 settled districts attack domestic animals. 



The Prairie or Barking Wolf {Cams latrans), 

 frequents the prairies or natural meadows of the 



Rocky Mountain Sheep. 



The caniqe species are numerous in 



Common JVoIf. 



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