280 Goats 



fore a hardier animal than its longer-coated relative the markhor. And it 

 is stated that, as a rule, even in winter they do not descend to very low 

 levels, although I have seen a tiock driven down by a sudden blizzard to 

 the level of the Indus valley in Ladak during summer, and the villagers of 

 Tilel and Maru-Wardwan report killing them at no great height above 

 their habitations during the depth of winter. When they keep at con- 

 siderable elevations during the long winter season they are stated to select 

 positions where the steepness of the ground prevents heavy accumulations 

 of snow, and where consequently a precarious subsistence is to be picked 

 up at all seasons. About October the old males descend from the high 

 uplands where they have spent the summer to consort with the females ; 

 the pairing season taking place in winter, and the young are born during 

 May and June. Previous to the latter event the males have once more 

 separated themselves to seek the mountain peaks. When on these eleva- 

 tions they otten spend the day in slumber tar above the limits of vegetation 

 among wastes of snow and ice, descending regularly every morning and 

 evening to graze on the Alpine pastures at lower levels. Such descents 

 are the sportsman's opportunity ; and the most wearying thing about 

 ibex-shooting is the long midday wait when the game are reposing on 

 the almost inaccessible crags. In spite ot their excessive wariness, ibex are 

 not excessively difficult to approach on account of the broken and rugged 

 nature of the ground they frequent, which affords abundant means of 

 concealment for the stalker. To protect themselves they rely both upon 

 sight and smell, although it has been stated that the former sense is 

 considerably the more acute of the two. 



Their chief natural enemies are the wild dog and the snow-leopard, or 

 ounce, and since these probably in most cases approach them from below, 

 it is to that direction their vigilance is directed, as they either have no 

 fear of avalanches, or are sufficiently warned by the noise these make in 

 descending. Accordingly, the object of the sportsman should be to get 



