The polar and tropical worlds: a description of man and nature in the polar and equatorial regions of the globe . Indian fashion, is said not to turn hard in drying-after being wet—a quality which justly entitles it to a preference over almostevery other kind of leather. One of the most remarkable quadrupeds of the high northern regions is the musk-ox ( Ovihos moschatus), whichby some naturalists has been consid-ered as intermediate between thesheep and the ox. It is about theheight of a deer, but of much stout-er proportions. The horns are verybroad at the base, almost meetingon the forehead,
The polar and tropical worlds: a description of man and nature in the polar and equatorial regions of the globe . Indian fashion, is said not to turn hard in drying-after being wet—a quality which justly entitles it to a preference over almostevery other kind of leather. One of the most remarkable quadrupeds of the high northern regions is the musk-ox ( Ovihos moschatus), whichby some naturalists has been consid-ered as intermediate between thesheep and the ox. It is about theheight of a deer, but of much stout-er proportions. The horns are verybroad at the base, almost meetingon the forehead, and curving down-vvard between the eye and ears un-til about the level of the mouth,when they turn upward. Its long^^^ thick brown or black hair hanging- down below the middle of the leg,THE MUSK-OX. aud covcrlng on all parts of the ani- mal a fine kind of soft ash-coloredwool, which is of the finest description, and capable of forming the most beau-tiful fabrics manufactured, enables it to remain even during the winter beyondV0° of northern latitude. In spring it wanders over the ice as far as Melville. ARCTIC LAND QUADRUPEDS AND BIRDS. 41 Island, or even Smiths Sound, wliere a number of its bones were found bvDr. ivane. In September it withdraws more to the south, and spends thecoldest months on the verge of the foi-est region. Like the reindeer, it sub-sists chiefly on lichens and grasses. It runs nimbly, and climbs hills and rockswith great ease. Its fossil remains, or those of a very analogous species, havebeen discovered in Siberia: at present it is exclusively confined to the NewWorld. In the Rocky Mountains, from the Mexican Cordillera plateaux as far as 68°N. lat., dwells the wild sheep ( Ovis montana), distinguished by the almost cir-cular bend of its large, triangular, transversely striped horns, from its relative
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, books, booksubjectnaturalhistory
