and steep, with very little water, and except for the stock men, who have herds grazing on the western edge of the desert, they are very seldom disturbed.  Along the line of the old Carriso Creek stage road from Yuma to Los Angeles, between Warner Pass and the mouth of Carriso Creek—­where it reaches the desert—­are several water holes where sheep have, up to 1897, at least, regularly watered during the dry season.

“I have known of several being killed by stock men there during the past few years, by watching for them about the water.  As a rule, the country is too dry, open and rough to make still-hunting successful.  At the same time I think they would have been killed off long since except for reinforcements received from across the line in Lower California.

“Up to 1894 a few sheep were found as far up the range as Mt.  Baldy, Los Angeles county, and they may still occur there, but I cannot be sure.  One or two of the larger ranges west of the Colorado River, in the desert, were, two years ago, and probably are still, blessed with a few sheep.  I have known of two or three parties that went after them, but they would not tell where they went; not far north of the Southern Pacific Railroad, I think.

“In Lower California sheep are still common in many places, but are largely confined to the east side of the peninsula, mostly being found in the low hills between the gulf and the main divide.  A few reach the top of San Pedro Martir—­12,000 feet—­but I learn from the Indians they never were common in the higher ranges.  The pinon belt and below seem to be their habitat, and in very dry, barren ranges.  I have known a few to reach the Pacific, between 28 deg. n. lat. and 30 deg. n. lat.; but they never seem at home on the western side of the peninsula.

“Owing to their habitat, few whites care to bother them—­it costs too much in cash, and more in bodily discomfort; but the natives kill them at all seasons; not enough, however, to threaten extermination unless they receive help from the north.

“I have no knowledge of any scab, or other disease, affecting the sheep, either in southern or Lower California.”

For northern California, records of sheep are few.  Dr. Merriam, Chief of the Biological Survey, tells me that sheep formerly occurred on the Siskiyou range, on the boundary between California and Oregon, and that some years ago he saw an old ram that had been killed on these mountains.  On Mt.  Shasta they were very common until recently.  In the High Sierra, south of the latitude of Mono Lake, a few still occur, but there are extremely rare.

In Oregon records are few.  Dr. Merriam informs me that he has seen them on Steen Mountain, in the southeastern part of the State, where they were common a few years ago.  Mr. Vernon Bailey, of the Biological Survey, has seen them also in the Wallowa Mountains.  The Biological Survey also has records of their occurrence in the Blue Mountains, where they used to be found both on Strawberry Butte and on what are called the Greenhorn Mountains.  The last positive record from that region is in 1895.  In 1897 Mr. Vernon Bailey reported sheep from Silver and Abert Lakes in the desert region east of the Cascade.  They were formerly numerous in the rocky regions about Silver Lake, and a few still inhabited the ridges northeast of Abert Lake.