The two varieties are much of the same size, but are entirely different in colour and habits. The horns of the shapoo are generally more massive than those of Ovis cycloceros, but the horns of both so vary in type and so closely resemble those of Ovis Gmelini from Asia Minor, that it is almost impossible, except for a highly trained scientific eye, to decide from this point alone to which of the three varieties a specimen belongs. Shapoo seem only to be found in the valley of the Indus, from a few miles above Leh down to the junction of the Astor river. How far below that they extend the inhabitants of Chilas only know, and they are not famed for hospitality or for communicating their knowledge. There appears to be a gap in the continuity of the species about Shigar and Rondu, which separates the shapoo from the oorin. The writer has never heard of shapoo being obtained there, and it would be interesting to know how far below Leh they are found. Shapoo seem to be very fond of wild thyme, which almost invariably grows plentifully on the ground they frequent. The venison is inferior to that of either Ovis Ammon or burrel.

The ram shapoo is a very game-looking beast, and the horns, standing well out from his head, show off to great advantage; but there is not an animal in the whole of the Himalayas so vexatious to hunt. Markhor are bad enough in all conscience, but even markhor are less heartbreaking to deal with than shapoo.

The writer once met a real typical shapoo, a true son of Belial. The beast started out of a ravine, galloped as hard as he could lay legs to the ground for four hundred yards, and then calmly lay down to think. After about a quarter of an hour he rose, strolled leisurely over a ridge, and then cantered off to some rocks about three-quarters of a mile away, where he lay down again. This necessitated a climb to the top of the hill, whence, wind and cover being perfect, the stalk would be easy enough. He remained there just long enough to enable the pursuer to begin the easy part of the stalk, when up he got, cantered gracefully back across the valley, and lay down on the opposite hill, in another very tempting position. This move entailed a détour, so as to cross the valley out of sight, and another climb up the far hill; half an hour was spent in reaching the desired spot: but though from there a magnificent view could be had of all the country round, there was not a sign of the shapoo, and the ground was too dry to show his tracks. Verily, shapoo are only shot when they give themselves away.

Shapoo are very tough beasts. The writer once regularly raked a ram galloping straight from him at thirty yards; the bullet, from a .500 Express, caught him on the rump, and the base of it was afterwards cut out in front of the liver; yet the ram ran some two hundred and fifty yards, stopped for about a minute to look round, and then started off again at a gallop, but after going a hundred yards fell over dead. The writer remembers no other instance of an animal stopping to gaze in its death gallop.

XXXIV. OORIAL (Ovis cycloceros)

Generally ‘Oorial,’ ‘Kuch,’ in the Suleiman range

This sheep is found in the Salt range near Jhelum, and wherever there are any suitable hills on both banks of the Indus from about Peshawur down to Beloochistan, where it is replaced by the next variety, Ovis Blanfordi. The ram has a long ruff of grizzled black hair which, flowing from his throat and chest down to his knees, emulates the grand beard of a markhor; this beard drops off in the summer, but begins growing again in August, and is at its full length during the rutting season late in September, which is about the best time for procuring good heads.

Measurements

AuthorityHeight at shoulderLength, nose to tip of tailWeightLength of hornsGirth at baseSplay between tipsRemarks
Ovis Nahura
ins.ins.lbs.ins.ins.ins.
Mr. B. H. Hodgson, ‘Proc. Zoo. Soc., 1840’......32....Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Mr. A. O. Hume......30⅞12¼21⅞”
”......3012¼22½”
H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh......29½11⅝25½”
Major Ward......29....‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Hume Collection, British Museum......281120¼Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Captain G. Campbell......27¾10¼10”
Mr. St. George Littledale, 1877......27¼1121¼”
Major Ward......27....‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
”....150......”
”....119......”
Mr. O. Shaw......27....‘Hindu-Koh’
Gen. Macintyre......27....
Major Greenaway......26½12½..
”......26½10..
”....97 cleaned......
Sir V. Brooke......26¼11⅞23Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Hon. W. Rothschild......26¼1221¼”
Sir E. G. Loder, Bart.......26¼10¾22”
Hume Collection, British Museum......26⅛12⅜25”
Mr. Rowland Ward......261220½”
Col. Kinloch......25½....‘Large Game Shooting’
The Writer, June 24, 1875......25½14..
”34....2111..
Sterndale, ‘Mammalia’30 to 3654 to 60..24 to 3012 to 13..
Average (according to Major Ward) seems fair33521302211..‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Ovis Vignei
Mr. J. Carr Saunders......38⅝12¼11¼Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Mr. A. O. Hume......37½10¼11”
”......36⅜ 9⅛about 17”
”......36¼11¼..”
Major Ward......36¼11¾..‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Dr. J. Aitchison, British Museum......35½10½16Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Mr. J. Carr Saunders......3410..
Major Ward......34....‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Mr. A. O. Hume......33⅝ 9⅛..Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Sir E. G. Loder, Bart.......33⅛11½10⅝”
Major Ward......33....‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Major Greenaway365365 cleaned......
”3652........
The Writer38....2210½..
Captain H. Brooke38....2812..
Average of good head......2610..
Ovis cycloceros
R. A. Mess, Attock......38½....Sterndale, ‘Mammalia,’ Appendix C
Captain W. Cotton, F.Z.S.......35½....”
Sir V. Brooke......32½1011½Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Hume Collection, British Museum......31¾ 9¼ 5¼”
”......31¼ 8½16”
Col. Kinloch......3110¼..‘Large Game Shooting’
”about 36..........”
Sir V. Brooke......30⅞ 9⅞20⅛Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Hume Collection, British Museum......3010½10”
Sir V. Brooke......30 9⅜11¼”
Major FitzHerbert36....30 9½..
Capt. H. Brooke......30 6..
Major Greenaway34..........
Sterndale, ‘Mammalia’about 36about 60..29½10..
Average of good head......30 9½..
Ovis Blanfordi
Hume Collection, British Museum......36½ 9⅝single hornRowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
”......31⅝ 9⅜13¾”
”......23⅝ 9½17¾”