. A System of natural history : containing scientifci [sic] and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects . ly, and then retire with 1 Oois montana, Geoff. The genus Odis has eight lower incisors; no canines;twelve upper and twelve lower molars. Horns common to both sexes; sometimes want-ing in the female, thick, angular, wrinkled transversely, pale colored, turned laterally ina spiral form; ears small; legs slender; hair of two kinds; tail more or less short; two MAMMALIA—SHEEP. 373 their lambs to the most inaccessible heights. Mr Drummond informs us,that in
. A System of natural history : containing scientifci [sic] and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects . ly, and then retire with 1 Oois montana, Geoff. The genus Odis has eight lower incisors; no canines;twelve upper and twelve lower molars. Horns common to both sexes; sometimes want-ing in the female, thick, angular, wrinkled transversely, pale colored, turned laterally ina spiral form; ears small; legs slender; hair of two kinds; tail more or less short; two MAMMALIA—SHEEP. 373 their lambs to the most inaccessible heights. Mr Drummond informs us,that in the retired parts of the mountains, where the hunters had seldompenetrated, he found no difficulty in approaching the Rocky Mountain sheep,which there exhibited the simplicity of character so remarkable in thedomestic species; but that where they had been often fired at, they wereexceedingly wild, alarmed their companions on the approach of danger bya hissing noise, and scaled the rocks with a speed and agility that baffledpursuit. He lost several that he had wounded, by their retiringto die amongst the secluded Their favorite feeding places, are grassy knolls, skirted by craggy rocks,to which they can retreat, when pursued by dogs or Avolves. They areaccustomed to pay daily visits to certain caves in the mountains, that areencrusted with a saline efflorescence, of which they are fond. These cavesare situated in slaty rocks. Mr Drummond says, that the horns of the oldrams attain a size so enormous, and curve so much forwards and down-wards, that they effectually prevent the animal from feeding on levelground. Its flesh is said by those who have fed on it, to be quite deliciouswhen it is in season, far superior to that of any of the deer species whichfrequent the same quarter, and even exceeding in flavor the finest Englishmutton. The missionaries who first discovered the Rocky Mountain sheep, describeit correctly as possessing the hair and the horns of
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