The Mountain Sheep 
II 
the females. They are polygamous, and each ram gathers 
as large a harem as he can protect from his rivals. These 
mixed flocks keep together a good deal during the winter, 
dividing in the spring when the time comes for the birth 
of the young. Where not hunted, they are, like most animals, 
not particularly suspicious, and living as they do in the 
high, less frequented spots, they have possibly retained this 
trait longer than some other species, and it has worked to 
their disadvantage. As a consequence they have come quite 
near extermination in Colorado, though, as stated above, they 
are now on the increase, thanks to the long close season they 
have had, lasting over several years. Their food is largely 
grass and the plants growing at higher elevations, and they 
may also browse on twigs to a certain extent, especially in 
winter. 
We occasionally hear reports of a strange animal in Colo- 
rado, and some of the other mountain States, which the 
informant usually calls an "ibex"; this is nothing more than 
the female Mountain Sheep, whose horns, instead of curving 
around to the front beside the head, are nearly straight, curv- 
ing but little, and projecting backward rather than forward. 
We used to read in the old books that the Mountain Sheep 
had no hesitation about jumping from the most precipitous 
places, and that it turned in mid air so as to light on the 
horns, thus saving itself from the shock and most likely from 
broken limbs; this story was long ago exploded; in fact if 
the sheep did turn in the air it would strike on its nose instead 
of its horns, and the result would be unpleasant, if not 
disastrous. But just how a sheep did strike the ground 
was still a disputed point, but an observation made by 
Judge D. C. Beaman, of Denver, shows how it is done in 
some, if not all cases. He with some others was. hunting 
bear with dogs, on Sapinero Creek, Gunnison County, and 
a Mountain Sheep was followed by the dogs and brought to 
