290 
ARGALI* 
the age of four years. His horns were then twen» 
ty-two inches long ; but the poor animal happen- 
ed to be ill-used in the latter part of his life,, other- 
wise his horns would haye been considerably lon- 
ger. 
The Corsicans call the male mu fro, the female 
mufra. They inhabit the highest tracts of coun- 
try in the island. They can only be shot or taken 
by stratagem ; nay, such is their wildness, cun- 
ning, and velocity, that the old ones can never be 
taken alive. They feed on the most acrid plants* 
When tame, they eat tobacco, and drink wine* 
Their flesh, though always lean, is savoury and 
agreeable to the taste. The skin is thick, and is 
used in Sardinia, both as an under shirt, for a 
preservative against the noxious effects of bad 
air, and a surtout, to defend the body against 
the impression of thorns and briars, in passing 
through thickets. 
If we may credit Hector Boecc, these animals 
were once inhabitants of the British isles. He 
ascribes to St. Kilda a species, of which his des- 
cription nearly agrees with what we have here 
said of this animal. To confirm his account, 
which might otherwise perhaps not obtain credit, 
a figure of an argali has been discovered in a 
piece of Roman sculpture taken from Antonius’s 
wall, near Glasgow. 
The old rams of this species are very strong. 
It is with difficulty that even ten men can hold 
one of them. They quarrel like the rams incur 
flocks of common sheep ; and in their quarrels 
one often strikes the other down a precipice, where 
he is instantly dashed in pieces, or soon perishes. 
The horns of two or more, are sometimes acci- 
dentally entangled ; in which case they fall down 
and perish together. The young are easily 
tamed* They produce with the common sheep ; 
