1868.] 423 [Hayes. 



At tlie end of the sixth year the fleece is positively bad, and at this 

 period the animals are usually killed, their natural life being only nine 

 or ten years. 



All authoi-s agree that these animals, although able to resist l)i)tli heat 

 and cold except immediately after shearing, when they are lial)!oto 

 be destroyed by moderate depression of temperature, cannot with- 

 stand much humidity, either in their pastures or folds. In a moist 

 atmosphere they are especially subject to maladies of the resi)iratory 

 organs, or a kind of pleuro-pneumonia. In severe winters, while the 

 common goat of the country is unaffc'cted, the mortality among the 

 goats of the pure race is frightful. Tliis is due largely to their con- 

 finement, when the temperature is 15° centigrade, in very bad stables 

 completely closed and imventilated, and to their nourishment upon 

 fodder imperfectly dried, a very little barley only being given when 

 the snow falls. The delicacy and lymphatic temperament of the 

 white Angoras, which seem to be inherent to this race, appear to be 

 closely related to their color. Some physiologists see in the color and 

 delicacy of this animal the evidence of an imperfect albinism. In 

 the very interesting discussions of the Board of Agriculture of Massa- 

 chusetts in 1867, many curious facts were stated, illuvtrating the re- 

 lation of a white color in animals with certain diseases and defici- 

 ences; for instance, that white horses are subject to diseases to which 

 black or red horses are not. Prof. Agassiz expressed the opinion 

 "that change of color in animals must be the result of some general 

 change in the system, and if it is not shown in the eyes it will be 

 shown in something else, the light color being a kind of bleaching of 

 those darker tints which are connected with the qualities of the blood, 

 indicating a certain feebleness of the system.'' These views are 

 peculiarly interesting when taken in connection with the facts stated 

 by M. Boulier as to the manner in which the losses above referred to 

 are repaired. The fact had already been stated by M. Tchihatcheif, 

 that when the losses are very considerable, the people of the country 

 repair them by crossing the Angora with the common goats, and that 

 the purity of the race is regained in the third genei'ation. This state- 

 ment was regarded in France as conclusive as to the expediency 

 of crossing with the common goat of France, until the statements 

 which follow were ])ublished. M. Boidi(;r shows that the goats 

 referred to as common in Asia, are of the same species as those of 

 the pure Angora race from which they differ only in their color and 

 size. The variety which is spread everywhere in Asia Minor upon 

 all soils and at all altitudes, is the black or Kurd race. The variety 

 confined to the nai-row limit is the ichite race. "The one and the 

 other," he says, "have long fleeces. Their general forms resemble 



