LFernogntth C aulorvneg. CircuBmafsearlence. Tip to Tip.
694 144 39
68i 15 35i
68 - H 43
68 16 52
67t 16 53
67 i6| 42
66| Hi 46
66| Hf ?
66 Hi 44
654 16 53
65 16 44i
65 i6| 494
65 ? ?
644 164 46
64i l64 41
64i Hi 39
63| ■ 42i
631 Hi 46i
62 j m 5t
62 f i l -4°'
Distributioni^The Pamirs, from Hunza to near the sources'#® the
Amu Daria.
Habits.— The following excellent account of the habits of Marco
Polo’s sheep on the Pamirs is given by Viscount E. de Poncins :— “ As a
rule, Ovis poll are not at all fond of difficult and rocky mountain^ Their
true ground is the long rolling plateau or the rounded hills of the Pamirs.^
I never saw one in a really bad place. They are not very wary, but
often difficult to stalk on account of the ground. A close shot is a rare
occurrence, and 200, 250, or 300 yards is the common range.
“ They are commonly found at a height from 18,000 feet up to the
snow, the little patches of grass along the snow lines over broad stony
nullas being their favourite resorts. They feed in the early morning and
keep moving about till tenpjr eleven o’clock in the day ; then they lie
down, sometimes on the same spot, or oftener they go up some bare hill,
where they scratch the ground and make a sort of big ‘ form.’ I did not
notice that they are at all fond of lying on the snow. I nearly always
found them in very dry places or on the stony slopes; It is not easy to
see them when they are moving about, and when standing they look very
light coloured except ||n the back.
“ When lying down arkars nearly always keep the head erect, as if
on the lookout, and when sleeping they lie with the neck outstretched.
I saw big males with heavy heads resting their horns on the ground.
In this case the under-parts o f the neck and jaw do not touch the earth
by several inches. The animal cannot touch the ground except with
its mouth, on account of the shape of the horns.
“ They seem to be affected by height. I more than once saw them,
when going at full speed uphill, open their mouths as i f in want of breath.
When going uphill they never run very fast, and stop from time to time.
When going leisurely they do not mind heights over 17,000 feet. I saw
some coming down for food on the sky-line at certainly more than 18,000
feet. When disturbed they go up slowly but steadily to great elevations.
As a rule, they dislike snow and are very cautious when in deep new
snow. I once saw four repeatedly try a glacier covered with new snow
not more than 400 yards from me. It was wonderful the way in which
they avoided the bad places:. The one in front went very slowly, trying
the ground, and every now and then went shoulder-deep into the snow.
He then drew back and tried other places without success, and then saw me.
“ After keeping very quiet all day, about three or four o’clock they go
again to feed. Once I saw three males fightingffjpn the way to the
grazing-ground. They were butting each other exactly as sheep do,
and sometimes ran alongside each other striking sideways against the
ribs and flanks. The points of the horns being at right angles with the
line of the neck, they must hurt each other in this way much more than