226 
UNGULATES. 
In Sardinia the mouflon. instead of being found on all the 
mountain ranges, are restricted to certain chains, and there they 
frequent only the highest ridges, generally confining themselves to such peaks as 
command a view of the whole of the surrounding country. The flocks of mouflon 
are led by an old and powerful ram; but at the pairing-season the large flocks 
used to split up into small parties, consisting of one ram and several ewes. The 
rams engage in fierce conflicts among themselves for the supremacy; and 
during the months of December and January the mountains re-echo with the 
the mouflon nat. size). 
sound of the blows as one ram rushes against the head of another. The lambs— 
either one or two at a birth—are produced during April or May; and are able in a 
to follow their dams everywhere. Mr. E. N. Buxton states that the 
Sardinian mouflon is one of the most difficult animals to approach with which he 
is acquainted. He observes that “ when they are alarmed, or at ‘ gaze,’ they have 
a habit, or at least the rams have, of placing themselves in the middle of a bush of 
macquia, or in the shadow which it casts. The ewes, who are naturally less con¬ 
spicuous, do this in a less degree. The mouflon are assisted by the wonderful 
alertness of their eyes.” Later on Mr. Buxton writes that “ one of their favourite 
few days 
