OCR Text |
Show 524 SIR VICTOR BROOKE AND MR. B. BROOKE [June 15, b. Sent home by Captain Biddulph from the Yarkund Expedition. It is also a male in winter coat, but is a darker-coloured specimen than a, the snow-white mane so strongly marked in the former being in this specimen much tinged with rufous. The horns are more battered, but the edges appear to have been similar. The orbital surface slightly convex. In both this and the preceding specimen the tail is entirely surrounded by pure white, its dorsum having a very thin dark line. c. A single horn in the College of Surgeons (No. 3773 in catalogue, type of O. sculptorum, Blyth, P. Z. S. 1840, and Annals and Magazine Nat. Hist. 1841, pl. 5. figs. 3 & 4), which we, with some hesitation, follow Mr. Severtzoff's example in referring to O. karelini. Median axis directed sharply inwards; terminal axis running at first parallel with the basal axis, its extremity, from the unusual length of the horn, directed downwards. Fronto-orbital edge rounded for its entire length, although the frontal and orbital surfaces are well defined; nuchal edge rounded at the base, becoming much sharper at the tip. Frontal surface slightly convex for its entire length ; orbital surface convex for about half its**length, and then becoming gradually concave ; nuchal surface flat for about half its length, then becoming also gradually concave. The horn is curved so tensely as to cause the nuchal edge to form one complete circle, and part of the segment of another. d. A mounted specimen at Berlin. e. A perfect skull and horns, brought home by Dr. Bellew from the Yarkund Expedition. All the surfaces are remarkably flat, the edges rounded, but distinctly marked. f. This magnificent pair of horns on the frontal bones was sent home from the Pamir range by Colonel J. E. Gordon, who writes :- "I brought the specimen myself from the Pamir range. I could have got a perfect new head of Ovis poli, 61 inches; but I preferred to take the old head, 6 5 | inches, believing that no one would credit me if I merely told of the latter. I could not carry both." The edges of the horns are rounded for the first half of their length, especially the fronto-orbital. The surfaces are all slightly convex along the basal curve of the horns, but become flatter in the median curve, the nuchal surface becoming concave in the terminal curve. g. This specimen (frontlet and horns) was also sent home by Colonel Gordon from the same locality. It belongs to a younger animal than the preceding. The fronto-nuchal edge is very prominent, the fronto-orbital edge rounded, and the nuchal edge sharply defined. The nuchal surface is concave, the frontal surface flat, and the orbital surface slightly convex. h. Imperfect skull and horns, brought home by Captain Chapman during the Yarkund Expedition, also from the Pamir range. It represents an animal about the same age as g, and agrees with it in every particular. i. Perfect skull (excepting lower jaw) and horns of a young male, probably about 2 years and 3 months old, procured through our |