296 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
ristic and highly distinctive cuts of the two animals, precisely 
agreeing with the differences insisted upon above, dhe cuts are 
accompanied by the following description, which I insert, accom¬ 
panied by the true scientific and generic names, feeling certain 
that to do so will add to the gratification of all my readers. 
« The Rocky Mountain Goat, Capra Montana , sive, Rupi- 
Capra Americana , is, of course, a North American species, found 
among the cliffy parts of those mountains after which it has been 
named. Its form is well delineated on the plate ; from which, it 
will be seen that the long white hair is an excellent protection 
against the violent storms by which its haunts are visited, while 
the structure of the hoofs enables them to take a firm hold on the 
rocks, or the ice, or frozen snow.’’ 
I am inclined to believe, myself, that it is the more mountain- 
loving animal of the two, and that it rarely descends below the 
regions of perennial snow. At all events, it is so rare as to be 
almost unknown whether to the naturalist or the hunter. 
The Ahsahta, Argali , Bighorn , or Rocky Mountain Sheep , 
Ovis Ammon , sive Ovis Montana. u This is often called the 
Rocky Mountain Sheep, though it is by no means confined to 
the summits of them. By some the Goat of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains has been confounded with this animal; and it has also been 
called an Antelope, though it is neither the one or the other, but 
truly and properly a Goat. The characters of this species, or 
probable variety, are very apparent, and at once prevent any 
possibility of confounding it either with the Antelopes or the 
Goats, though of course, as all Sheep do, it approximates more 
closely to the latter of these than to the former. The body is 
remarkable for its thickness and roundness in proportion to its 
length ; the legs are very long ; the outline of the forehead, seen 
in profile, is nearly straight; and the muzzle is almost exactly 
that of the common Sheep. The horns of the male are very 
thick and large ; they advance in front of the eyes, and form 
nearly an entire turn of a spiral. They are flattened laterally, 
like those of the domestic ram, and have similar transverse fur¬ 
rows and ridges. These furrows and ridges are very conspicuous 
