Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/336

 rock, in summer more often on the northern side, probably for the sake of coolness; here they will lie on their side, stretch out their legs like a dog, and doze.

The pairing season of these animals, according to the Mongols, is in November, and lasts about a month. At such times the call-note of the males is very similar to the bleating of goats, and may be heard day and night ; at this season they fight furiously with one another. But they often fight at other times, and the ends of the horns of full-grown males are constantly broken owing to their pugnacious disposition. The young mountain sheep are born in May and remain with the mother till the next rutting season.

The chase after the kuku-yaman is exceedingly difficult, but some of the Ala-shan Mongols are expert hunters, and kill them with their match-locks. The inferiority of their guns is compensated for by a perfect knowledge of the country and habits of the animal. A full-grown ram yields about seventy-two pounds of meat; in autumn they are very fat and their flesh good to eat. The skins are sewn into bags and articles of clothing by the Mongols.

During our excursion in these mountains my friend and I passed days together in the chase. Ignorant of the locality, I provided myself with a Mongol hunter as a guide who was thoroughly acquainted with the mountains and the habits of the kuku-yamans. At early dawn we would leave