The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-03

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tween ms eyes as he was lowering his head TO
receive his adversary his norns ald toss him
INTO the air3 And when individual efforts are
unequal to the danger, sheep will unite their
erttons, placing the females ana their Young in
the middle of an irregular square. The rams Will
station themselves 50 as to present an armed
front on every side to the enemy, and will sup
port their ranks in the crisis of attack, har-
raising the tue by the most formidable ami some
times fatal blows. Such sheep, tor, especially
display considerable sagaclty in the selection of
their food, and in the approach OF
storms they perceive the Indications with
accurate precision, and retire for shelter always
to the spot which is best able 60 afford It,
In the early ages OF the world locks nt sheep
constituted large proportion OF the wealth on
the people. In Palestine they very nuIueT-
GUS Ii Is stated that Job had IL 900 sheep be
sides oxen and camels When the 1900 Israel
ties male an excursion into INDIAN, they brought
AWAY 675, 900 sheep, When the tribes of Reuhen
and Gad made war with the Htgarltes, their
spoils amounted TO 100000 of these animals.
The King of Moab rendered yearly tribute OF
100000 sheep to the jews, and at the dedication
OF the temple solomon offered 10000. Travel
ers have seen immense 1ocks of sheep in the
neighhorhood of Aleppo, and Dr. Shaw saws that
several of the Arabian tribes, who can hring no
more than 300 or 400 horses into the field. are
possessed of more than as many thousand oxen
and canIels and rrehle that number of sheep and
goats Having thus given short history of the
origin of sheep, will now take up the breeds,
and the first Will be
THE AsIArIC ARGALGC SHEEP.
"rhis sheep" says Pallas, "lnhabitates the ele-
vated steppes of Southern Siberia and the noun
tain-chains OF Central Asia" According to
statement in the Farmers Library a few years
since, two fine specimens of this animal, male
and female. were placed in the British Mu-
scum, and may be regarded as among the most
valuable and interesting Of its geological treas
ures. "Tnl saw them" says Mr., Houatt,"
eve had no idea of 80 gigantic sheep. Huge,
massive, heavy and powerful is the Argali of
Siberia: an OK, as it were in stature, but sheep
in form aud character, The male stands four
feet in height at the back, and measured from
the end OF the to the end of the short little tail
over the head and neck, is seven feet nine inches.
The circumference of the horns at the base is
[ nineteen inches, and each horn measured from
its base along the to tine tip, three feet
eleven inches. The horns furrOwed with
deep transverse wrinkles, and are boldly spiral,
divergiug somew what laterally. The limbs of the
sheep compact and well turned; the tail is
short and the ears are small The female spec-
men is smallerin stature than the male, and the
hnIhs are cohslueIaple iessl polh as 10 iehSth
and weight. The hOrus of the male triaugu-
lar aud convex on the upper apex. Those of the
female are more compressed. The petit is deep,
close and full. It's tint ia n grsly brown. The
lambs below the knee are whitsh; the lips are
grayish and the tan graylSh. Probably the Color
varies at different seasons OF the year, Is gen
orally the case among wild sheep The Argall
lives in troops aud is extremely active and Wig
Oruus bold and resulute. In spring and autumn
the rivalry of the males is excited, aud they en-
gage in desperate conflicts striking each other
on the head with such violence that They often
break off each OTHERS horns, massive and solid
they fixed on the skull IL ia said that
I even the foxes and OtherSmall animals may take
shelter in the hollow OF these horns on their
heng separated from the dead animal. Colonel
II. Smith speaks of the Caucasian Argalt AS lrlv-
I ing horns three feet long ana 80 heavy ana mn
manageable when lying on the ground that he
found il difficult to place them in such position
as to give "A correct idea OF their appearance
when the skull. Mr.. KOtsbue saws: The
Kan schatl1an sheep, which is supposed to be
diminished variety of the ArSa Is amazingly
fleet and active, exhibiting itself on the luttlest
pinnaces. and achieving. like chamois, prodigIous
springs among the rocks ana preeipices, and III
preparing for these leaps its eve measures the
distance with surprising accuracy
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
The Rocky Mountain sheep inhabit the lofty
chain rom which they derive their name from
It's northern termination in latitude $50 10 about
latitude 4So, and perhaps farther south. They
also frequent the elevated and dragged ridges
with which the country between the great
mountain range and the Pacific coast ia inter
sected, but they do not seem to have advanced
f-rther eastw ard than the decivity of the
Rocky Mountains nor are they found in any Of
the hilly tracts near HudsOns Bay. They collect
IN herds OF from thirty TO forty young rams and
females, herdng together during the winter aud
spring. Mr.. Drummond informs us that the
Becky Mountain sheep exhibited the simplicity
of character so remarkable in the domestic
species, but that where they had been often fired
at they we're exceedingly wild, alarmed their
hissing noise, and scaled the rocks with a speed
and agility that bg1fled pursuit. Some naturalists
have supposed that this variety of the sheep
family is substantially the same as the Asiatio
Argau, hut of diminished stature. Others dis
sent from this opinion, not only on account OF
its size but of difference In Jne curvature of the
horns. Those VINO maintain il imagine that
some of the Argan originally passed Behring's
Strait on the ice to the American continent.
'"rhe fatrumped sueep.' saws DIR. Anderson,
"rescmble one another by hay ing-partiGularly
the ma!es-A solid mass OF fat formed upon the
rump, divided, as II were, into two hemispheres,
which take he form of the hips, with little
knob of IA tail IN the middle. Some of them have
horns, out others do not. It's covering is a mix
ture of hair and wool. Some of the breeds weigh
as much as 200 pounds, and the mass of tat
formed on the runIp varies from tenth to fifth
of Caucasus, the hind quarters are sailed
hams and sent in large quantities to the
norher9 part n of .o Tgrfey wr,r II has
this breed may he the same as
that which was bred by the Patriarchs, in the
days OF Abraham ana Moses. The sacred pen
man mentions that Moses took the tat and the
rump ana all the fat which was upon the
inwarde. and burned them upon the altar for
burnt offering.
THE SHEEP OF THIBEr
The sheep of Thoer, which are very numer-
Gus. are chiefly asmall variety OF the fat-rumped
Persian and AIyssinian, with black heads aud
necks. Some are hairy, with short wool Under
meath, while others bear a long, soft ana iuo
wool. It is from the latter that many OF the
costly Indian shawls are made. Not d little of
this peculiar wool finds its way to British india,
and is there manufactured This breed is found
ia its purest state in the deserts Of Great Tar.
tary other variety being near TO cOntaminate
its blood. 1t reaches far into the interior and
northern parts OF Russia, ana is much dissemlu-
ated in China, Persia, Hndostau, Asia Minor
and eastern Africa as well rs Thihrt In Pales-
tine il is more numerous than any other breed;
indeed uhe largest proportion Of the shrep
of northern Asia being Of this description.
Professor Pallas cOnecturrs tnat this character
arises in the fatrumped sheen from their feed
ing upon the bitter and saline plants found upon
the borders of the Caspian aud Black seas I'd
he asserts that when they are removed from the
places where these plants grow the fatty