of the ventral surface, including the breast and greater part of the chest,
and thence along the sides to the thighs, nearly black ; the lateral
extension along the flanks becomes narrower posteriorly, and the neck is
somewhat grizzled with white ; outer surface of both fore- and hind-limbs
blackish-brown, either uniform or in some specimens varied with a slight
mixture of whitish ; back of head with a broad area of black, narrowing
posteriorly and continued to the tailgas a well - defined dorsal stripe ;
tail wholly deep black, except a few white hairs on the middle of its
lower surface; a narrow blackish chin-bar, varying in breadth and
distinctness in different individuals ; hoofs black ; horns: light brown.”
In its relatively small size this sheep agrees with the Alaskan race,
as it does-in the form of its. horns. It differs in that its prevailing
coloration is either dark gray or blackish-brown, according to-the area in
question, instead of being a nearly uniform dirty white~xolour. With
the typical race it agrees iri-iia general way as regard^gits pattern of
coloration, but the umber or wood-brown of the former is everywhere
replaced in the present animal by blackish-brown, or black. The stature
in the present race is, moreover, considerably inferior, and the horns are
less massive, with a more outward curvature at the tips. ,
Distribution.— The upper part of the Stikin Valley, British North-West
Territory, near the Alaskan frontier, at an elevation of between 6000 and
7000 feet above sea-level, and about 250 miles south of the area known to
be inhabited by the Alaskan race.
Mr. Stone, the discoverer of this apparently well-marked race of
bighorn, writes as follows to Dr. Allen, its describer ^ H T h e only
specimens of this sheep I had the opportunity of discovering were the
males which I found during the months of August and September in the
most rugged parts of the mountains, entirely above the timber-line. I
often found them singly, and at no time did I discover more than five in
one bunch, though one of my party reported having seen eleven together.
iR aw perhaps fifty head, and secured twelve specimens. I was very
careful in my study of these interesting animals, and I found them to be
uniformly marked, both in colour and general characteristics.
“ The youngest» the three now in the museum was secured August
8th 1896, in a very deep and rocky canon, just at the base o f one of the
highest peaks in thipjjart | jf the mountains. At the time I discovered
him he was all alone, carefully making his way down the canon, and from
what I afterwardjslearned I am very much inclined .to believe he was then
in quest of the eweiplambs, and yearlings in the edge of the timber farther
down the mountain side, and it is quite likely that he had not yet
regularly taken up the company of th e . older rams. The two older
specimens were taken on August Both, about five miles distant from
the first, and were the only ones in the bunch. I watched them an
entire afternoon before killing them. They passed the time alternately
nibbling at tiny bits of grass occasionally seen peeping from crevices
in the rocks, and playing or lying down on patches of snow and ice.
They were very fat. Specimens taken two months later possessed
the same markings.”
e. A l a s k a n R ackH O vis c an a d en s is d a l l i
Ovis montana dalli, Nelson, P r^ S U.S. Mus. vol. vii. p. 13^1884).
Ovis dalli, J . A. Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. vol. ix. p. 1 1 2 (1897)
Merriam, Pros. Sbt^Washington,' vol. xi. p. 2 17 (1897) ; Nelipn,. Nat.
Geographic M ag^toh ix. p. 128 .
Characters.— Stature not ascertained. Eafcshort and thickly haired.
Horns o f adult male apparently generally similar to these of the Liard
river and North-Western races. In summer the coloration nearly uniform
dirty white, so that the caudal disk is invisible ; the dinginess of? the white
over the entire body and limbs being apparently due to the tips.yof the