i353 On the Wild Goat of the Alps. 



is fatisfiecl wiih vvhiftling and looking at him, but as foon as 

 it finells Iiim it takes to flight. 



The female never abandons her young, unlefs flie is 

 hunted: if it cannot follow her fhe leaves it, and the latter 

 conceals iticif in the burrows of the marmot, or other holes 

 of the rocks ; fomclin^s at the depth of fix feet. 



When the danger is over flie returns to call it, and fearches 

 till flie finds it : but if {he remains too long, the young goes 

 to look for the mother; it iflTucs from its hole, calls its mo- 

 ther, and enters fome other hole with fear and emotion, and 

 with figns of the grcaleil uncafmefs. If it fees the mother 

 it runs up to her; but if (lie is wounded, and lying, as foon 

 as it fmells the blood it betakes itfelf to flight ; then returns, 

 approaches with the fame eigernefs, and again retires for the 

 fame reafon. It can hardly be confoled for the lofs of its 

 mother; fearches for her a long time, and never quits the 

 place where it was brought forth and where it loft her. 



When a wild goat is wounded, all the reft make their 

 efcape and abandon it: thev are feized with fear and terror, 

 and flv with ihe utmoft rapidity. The hunter can diftinguilh 

 the vvild goats that liave been v\ounded, by their walk, which 

 is- flow. They fuffer their heads to fall fometimes to the one 

 fide and fometimes to the other, and they foon after lie down, 

 even when the wound is flight. 



Man, though the greateft enemy and principal deftroyer 

 cf thefe wild soats, is, however, not the only due whom 

 they have to ^read. The wolves and eagles purfue their 

 voung*. The mothers, on thefe occafions, cfcapc with them 

 to caverns or hollow places in the rocks, make their young 

 enter firft, and ihcr,, having entered themfelves, prefent their 

 head to the apcrl;ufe in order to face the enemy. 



There are few animals the natural hiftorv of which is dlf- 

 flgurcd with more fables by fuperftition, and more errors by 

 ignorance, than that of the wild goat. The naturalift, as 

 already obfcrved, is obliged to truft to the hunters, and thefe 

 indemnify themfelves for the labour and fatigue they have 

 experienced by the falfehoods which they propagate: be- 

 fides, an animal the hunting of which is fo painful, ought, 

 in the eyes of the vulgar, to have fomething of the marvel- 

 lous connefted with it. Hence the property afcribcd to the 

 horns of the wild goat of deftroying the force of poifon ; and 

 hence the opinion of the hunters, that It their pieces arc 

 rubbed with certain herbs they cannot hit the mark. We fliall 



* Sec ail account ofil-c combats of the lamiiier-gtvcr and t!ie chamois 

 ia Cox's Lcitcrs on S:'''i£'n luiul, vol. 1. j). ?C-. 



not 



