DURING THE RUTTING SEASON 15

approaching hard blows struck. Many very interesting
incidents occurred that day, but there was one in particular
such as had never come under my observation before nor
has since. Four very large rams left the ewes for a time
and appeared to be holding a conference ; they just stood
still for several minutes with their heads so close together
that they were almost touching: We lay there watching
them with the expectation of seeing a rough-and-tumble
fight, but instead of coming to blows they formed into a
line and, with heads outstretched and noses held high,
remained as rigid as if they were statues, for nearly five
minutes. Then one or two of them did a little mild
butting, after which they separated to continue their
efforts in collecting ewes. During the time we managed
to stand the cold one ram succeeded in driving off fifteen
or sixteen ewes away over the top of the mountain and
down into the timber on the other side. We followed
their trail on our way back to camp for a mile or two, and
never caught up to them, so they must have kept going
steadily.

An opportunity to study the habits of the northern
sheep in the early part of the winter or spring has never
come my way, but it does not seem likely that they ever
travel far from their summer ranges as do many of the
southern sheep, but just descend to places in the timber
where there is rough ground or gulches to winter in.
Some of the Lillooet sheep leave the main ranges and
winter low down on the foothills, perhaps ten or twenty
miles from their summer homes.

The northern sheep do not change the colour of their
coats in winter, but many of the Rocky Mountain rams
become so light-coloured towards spring that at first sight
in the distance they might easily be mistaken for goats.
The sheep of the Cascades also become somewhat lighter,
though not nearly to the same extent as those of the
Rockies.

As soon as spring begins in earnest all sheep spend
much of their time at “licks ” or mineral springs, if there
happen to be any in their vicinity. The “licks” are

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