164 Game of Europe, W. Sc N. Asia & America 



ag;iin ill 1633. And even so late as the latter part of the eighteenth 

 century ibex were to be tound in the mountains bordering the Val de 

 Bagnes (Bagnethal), a tributary ot" the Rhone in the south of Valais 

 (Wallis), while in other districts ot the same caiiton a few lingered on as 

 late as the commencement ol the nineteenth century.' These, however, 

 were the last survivors oi the species in Switzerland. In Salzburg and the 

 Tyrol the species had become scarce by the middle of the sixteenth 

 century, and, as already mentioned, had become exterminated in the 

 Martinswand valley as early as 1540. In Salzburg ibex horns, as well as 

 other parts ot the animal, were much esteemed as medicine, and in 1584 

 the Archbishop made great endeavours to save the species from extermina- 

 tion. In order to effect this huts were built on the high Alps, in which 

 hunters were stationed during the spring and summer months for the 

 purpose of capturing as many individuals as possible, which were subse- 

 quently to be kept in confinement. But although a hundred of the most 

 active mountaineers were engaged in this occupation, the net result of their 

 efforts during the successive seasons comprised only four bucks, three does, 

 and two kids. The process was continued thrc>ughout the remainder of the 

 century. In 1666 a few ibex still remained in the Zillerthal. And about 

 that period further steps were taken to protect the ibex in these districts, 

 the peasants being paid a certain sum annuallv in order to refrain from 

 pasturing their cattle on the high Alps. The ibex being thus undisturbed, 

 accordingly increased somewhat in numbers up to the vear 1698, at which 

 date the flocks comprised seventy-two bucks, eightv-three does, and twenty- 

 four kids. But with this increase in numbers shooting and trapping were 

 once again permitted, with the usual inevitable result; and in 1706 the 

 Tyrol flock was reduced to five bucks and seven does, and \\'ith these the 

 record ot the species closes in this district. The year 1699 seems to have 

 been the one in which the ibex were most numerous in the mountains of 



1 In l-f i/ii Oxen, S/'iTp, lUiti Gouts both ihcsc dates arc made a centiirv too carl v. 



