CHAPTER X.
Origin of the Sheep—The Asiatic Argali—Rocky Mountain Big-Horns—Their Remarkable Intelligence and other Peculiarities—A Hunter's Experience Among Them—Sentinels Guarding the Flocks—Differences between Wild and Domestic Sheep—Gentleness of the Lamb—The Lamb and the Children in the Well—The Sheep that Broke Through the Fence—Varieties of Sheep—The Long Wool and the Short Wool—The Merino—His Origin and Present Extent—Sheep in Australia—An Old Question and its Answer—Astrachan Sheep—Intelligence and Activity of the Goat—Some of his Performances—His Powers of Climbing—Goats said to eat Tomato-Cans and Old Boots—What Buffon says of the Goat—the End.
Well,” remarked Mr. Graham as they sat down for their next discussion of the animal kingdom, “what have you learned about the sheep and his kindred?”
The youths waited a half minute or more, each desiring the other to begin. Then Mr. Graham turned to Harry and nodded for him to speak. Thus encouraged the youth made an end of the silence.
“I have found,” said he, “that the naturalists do not agree as to the origin of the sheep. Some think he is descended from the argali, an animal which is found in Asia and is as large as a deer. In shape and general appearance he resembles a sheep but is larger than the largest known variety of the domestic sheep. He runs wild in the mountains but can be easily tamed, especially if he is captured when young.”
“Has he any relatives in America?” the gentleman asked.
“Yes,” was the reply; “the Rocky Mountain sheep or big-horn, as he is also called, is the American argali, and resembles the Asiatic one very nearly, Now while some naturalists think the domestic sheep is descended from the argali, others believe that the sheep is a animal that has never lived in a wild state.”
“What do you think about it?” was a query that somewhat puzzled the youths.