340 PLT>-t's yATUEAL HTSTOET. [Book VIII. 



like the sheep. Goats become barren when very fat. There 

 is little advantage to be derived from their bringing forth 

 before their third year, or after the fourth, when they begin 

 to grow old." They are capable of generating in the seventh 

 month, and while they are still sucking. In both sexes those 

 that have no horns are considered the most valuable.'^ A 

 single coupling in the day is not sufficient ; the second and the 

 following ones are more effectual. They conceive in the month 

 of November, so as to bring forth in the month of March, 

 when the buds are bursting : this is sometimes the case with 

 them when only one year old, and always with those of the 

 second year ; but the produce of those which are three years 

 old is the most valuable. "^ They continue to bring forth for a 

 period of eight years. Cold produces abortion. ^VTien their 

 eyes are surcharged, the female discharges the blood from the 

 eye by pricking it ^ith the point of a bulrush, and the male 

 with the thorn of a bramble. 



Mutianus relates an instance of the intelligence of this 

 animal, of which he himself was an eye-witness. Two goats, 

 coming from opposite directions, met on a very narrow bridge, 

 which would not admit of either of them turning round, and 

 in consequence of its great length, they could not safely go 

 backwards, there being no sure footing on account of its 

 narrowness, while at the same time an impetuous torrent was 

 rapidly rushing beneath ; accordingly, one of the animals lay 

 down flat, while the other walked over it. 



Among the males, those are the most esteemed which have 

 flat noses and long hanging ears,^^ the shoulders being covered 

 Anim. B. vi. c. 19. JElian, Anim. Nat. B. iii. c. 38, says that the goats 

 of Egypt sometimes produce five young ones at a birth. — B. 



"" Columella, B. vii. c. 6, gives a somewhat different account ; he says, 

 '* Before its sixth year it is old — so that when five years old, it is not suit- 

 able for coupling." — B. 



'" According to Columella, ubi supra, " Because those with horns are 

 usually troublesome, from their uncertainty of temper." — B. 



"^ There ha.s been considerable difference of opinion respecting the read- 

 ing of the original, whether the word -'utiles," or " inutiles," was the one 

 here em-ployed. Hardouin conceives it was the latter, and endeavours to 

 reconcile the sense with this reading ; Lemaire, vol. iii. pp. 538, 539. But, 

 aotwithstanding his high authority, there is stiU great doubt on the mat- 

 ter.— B. 



'-" '• Infractis," probably in contradistinction to erect ears. Columella, 

 vM supra, terras them, " flaccidis et pnegrandibus aiuibus " — " flaccid ears, 

 and ver}- large." — B. 



