228 



NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the horny part of the hoof, and Mr. Smith has actually observed 

 the young captive goats supporting themselves solely on these 

 dew^ claws on the edge of a roof.* It is probable that they are 

 similarly used on the rocks and precipices, since on a very nar- 

 row ledge they would serve favorably to alter the centre of grav- 

 ity by enabling the limb to be extended somewhat farther forward. 



ASCEXT TO THE GOAT COUNTRY. 



The ascent to the goat country up Goat Creek is very pictur- 

 esque (Photograph i), the forests being occasionally broken by 

 talus and rock slides from the cliffs above. Soon after reaching 

 the summit at the head of Goat Creek six goats were observed 

 (Photograph 2) browsing along the bluff at the point marked i. 

 Probably disturbed by our scent, they moved slowly to the point 



marked 2 and disap- 

 peared from sight. This 

 was at 12.30. Return- 

 ing to the same point 

 at 2.30, a single goat 

 was seen sitting on its 

 haunches like a dog, ap- 

 parently keeping watch, 

 although this may have 

 been merely a resting 

 pose following a feed- 

 ing period. Norboe 

 moved rapidly forward 

 while I followed more 

 slowly with the camera, 

 and in a few moments four goats appeared descending the cliff 

 at point 3 (Photograph 2) ; they saw me and scrambled up the 

 cliff, passing out of sight. 



FIRST SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS. 



Arriving at the top of the cliff I approached gradually and 

 secured the first series of photographs. The sun was shining from 

 the west ( left in the picture) over the top of the cliff, so that the 

 bodies of the animals in this series all appear in shadow, with 

 sunlit outlines. The goat and kid are first seen (Photograph 3) 

 at the edge of the precipice on the point of descending, while the 



Second Series, Photograph 9. 



* Another observer, Mr. Owen Wistar, tells me that pads on these dew 

 claws become worn ofif at the back as the season advances. 



