288 
ARGALIo 
Argali. 
This species is distinguished by horns situated 
on the summit of the head, which at first rise up- 
right, then bend, and are twisted outwards, like 
those of the common ram ; and are, in the form of 
its circumference, flat on the interior side, but 
rounded on the exterior. The head of this animal 
resembles that of our common ram ; it has smaller 
ears ; it is nearly equal in size to a small stag ; its 
fore are shorter than its hinder feet ; its tail is very 
short, and white, tipped with yellow. The hair of 
the body is very short in summer, and of a yellow- 
ish ash-colour, mixed with grey. In winter, the 
hair is an inch and half in length, and of a grey 
ferruginous colour ; the hair on the neck is, in this 
season, rather longer than that of the body ; and 
the hair under the throat still longer. In spring, 
the animal casts its hair. The females are smaller 
than the males. These animals, as well as our 
common sheep, sometimes want horns. 
Siberia, Kamtschatka, and the Kurili islands, 
are the favourite regions of the wild sheep. They 
are social animals, and feed together in small 
flocks. 
In Kamtschatka, they afford to the inhabitants 
both food and clothing. The flesh, and particu- 
larly the fat, the Kamtscliadales esteem as diet fit 
for the gods ; and there is no labour which they 
will not undergo in the chase. Whole families 
abandon their habitations in the spring of the year, 
and occupy the entire summer in this employment, 
amidst the steepest and most rocky mountains, fear- 
less of the dreadful precipices which often over- 
whelm the eager sportsman. 
These animals are shot with guns or with arrows ; 
sometimes with cross-bows placed in their paths. 
