[247 1 



XLT. Drfcr'iptiov and Natural Hifiory of the JJIIJ Goaf 

 of the: Alps. By M. Berthout'Van Berchem jun. 



[ConcluileJ from p. 121.] 



>UT having faid enough in regard to this animal in its 

 confined (tate, let us now haften to reftore it to liberty : .it is 

 on the funimits of the fteepeft rocks, fiifpended, as we may 

 fay, between the heavens and the earth, that it ought to be 

 confidered, as it is there that it difplays all its ftrcngth and 

 agility. It is particularly iutercfting to fee the eafe and fa- 

 cilitv with which it traverfes the mod awful rocks, the bare 

 light of which infpires terror, and which are inacceflible to 

 man. When it leaps, it does not feeui to take a fpring; it 

 directs iti fight with the greateft precifion to the place it 

 wifhe.s to reach, and never mifles its aim. When tranquil, 

 it generally carries its head low; but when running, it holds 

 it elevated : it even throws it fomewhat back, which heightens 

 the agreeablenefs of its figure. When it wiflies to raife itfelf 

 to the top of a perpendicular rock fifteen feet in height, it 

 docs it at three leaps, or rather three fucceffive jumps, of five 

 feet each : one might fav that it fcarcely found any point of 

 fupport on the rock ; and it appears to have touched it only 

 that it might be thrown higher, with the fame force that an 

 ehiftic ball would be if impinged againft a hard body. It 

 never makes more than three leaps in this manner. If it be 

 between two rocks ftanding near each other, and wiflies to 

 get to the top, it accomplilhes its objeft by jumping from 

 the one to the other. It traverfes the glaciers alfo with great 

 rapidity, but only when chaced : when its courfe is volun- 

 tary it avoids them, and does not feem to walk on them with 

 fuch confidence as among the rocks. 



I fliall now give an account of the manner in which the 

 wild goat lives when peaceably fuffcred to follow its natural 

 habits, when not mololted in its retreats; and fliall then de- 

 fcribc the manner in which it is hunted. We fliall fee in 

 what manner man, who of all beings is the inoft deftruftive, 

 penetrales into the almod inacceflible places which nature has 

 afl)i;ncd to this animal, and where, as appears, it ought to 

 be flieltered from his rapacity. We fliall fee how, at the 

 rilk of his life, and braving the moft imminent dangers, he 

 purfues it, and has diminiflied the nimiber in fuch a man- 

 ner, that, though it was formerly difperlld over all the high 

 mountains of Swifl'erland, Savoy, and the Valais, it is now 

 found only in fome places, and even in fmall numbers. 



Q4 Thcfo 



