transverse wrinkles on the front and lateral surfaces usually bold and
widely separated, but becoming approximated in old animals; inner front
angle always well developed, but the outer one either distinct or completely
rounded off. General colour of upper-parts some shade of russet-
yellow or foxy-red, with the under-parts and lower portion of the legs
white, but lacking most of the black markings of the male European
muflon. There is, however, a dark mark on the fore-legs above the
knees, a darkish stripe on the chest and flanks, and more or less indistinct
traces of a light saddle-mark in the adult rams. Typically the neck
thick, with a fringe of elongated hairs on the throat. Face-glands well
developed.
Distribution.—The mountains of Elburz in Northern Persia, of
Armenia, the Taurus range of Asia Minor, and the central chain of
Cyprus.
a . A rm en ia n R a c e—Ovis o r ie n t a l s t y p ic a
Characters.—Size relatively large, the height at the shoulders reaching
to 2 feet 9 inches. Horns of adult rams generally with the front outer
angle well marked, so that the front surface is clearly defined from the outer,
one. Neck thick and bushy. General colour of head and upper-parts
of adult male russet-yellow or foxy-red ; under-parts and lower portion
of legs white; a space before the eyes, nose, chin, and the inner surfaces of
the ears whitish ; a dark purple-brown mark above the knees on the forelegs,
and a darkish streak down the chest; the ridge of the neck and
back somewhat darker than the rest of the upper-parts. In older males
the general colour reddish, with a whitish saddle-mark.
Specimens of this sheep are rare in collections, and I have had to
depend for the description of the coloration entirely upon the writings
of others, as I have never seen a perfect skin. The British Museum
possesses the skull and horns of a male, with some portions of the skin,
from Erzerum, forming the type of Blyth’s Ovis gmelini (No. 55, 12, 24,
396), and presented by the Zoological Society in 1855. Also a complete
skeleton presented by Mr. Danford. In both these the horns are of
average dimensions ; but the museum also possesses a skull, said to be
from an island in the Mediterranean, and presented by Mr. W. B. Baker,
in which the horns are greatly larger than in any other known example,
and are further characterised by the great number and fineness of the transverse
wrinkles. The latter is, however, a character which tends to be
developed at the base of horns of old individuals; and as the pair under
consideration agree in form and curvature with normal examples of the
present species, there seems every reason for referring them to it, although
they may possibly indicate a distinct race. The dimensions of this
magnificent specimen occur first in the list following. Although the
distinct development of the front inner edge is in general a marked feature
of the horns of the mainland race, Messrs. Danford and Alston describe
specimens which approximate both in this respect and in curvature to the
Cyprian form.
Mr. Rowland Ward recórds the following horn-measurements flEtg{
Length on
Outer Curve.
Basal
Circumference.
Tip to Ti
4 ° s I0è 1
3 6 i I o f s i
3 ° i I o f 18
8è 12-g-
24 I 1 7
Some degree of confusion has arisen among zoologists as to whether
O. orientalis or O. gmelini is the proper name for this sheep. In 1876 Mr.
W. T. Blanford1 wrote as follows on this question : “ No such name as
O. orientalis was given to this sheep by J. G. Gmelin ; he simply called it
in German the Oriental sheep {das orientalische Schaf), and apparently
Eastern Persia, vol. ii. p. 88.