South Arabian Ibex 173 



THE SINAITIC IBEX 



[Ciipra nubicDia suuuticti) 



An immature male ibex from the Sinaitic Peninsula, presented to 

 the British Museum in 1899 by Captain J. Marriott, of the Norfolk 

 Regiment, ditFers markedly in the form of its horns from the typical Capra 

 niih'taua of North Africa, being in this respect intermediate between the 

 latter and the wild goat. The writer could not, however, satisfy himself that 

 the difference might not, in part at least, be due to immaturity. But he 

 has recently been assured by Dr. Oscar Neumann that the same features 

 are characteristic of the adult ; and the Sinaitic ibex may accordingly be 

 allowed to rank as a distinct local race of LI. inib'iana. The knobs on the 

 horns are much narrower, taller, and more irregularly disposed than in the 

 typical form. We now have a transition from the ibex to the true goats. 



THE SOUTH ARABIAN IBEX 



[Capra nil /nana mcngesi) 



The typical Nubian ibex is distinguished from both the Alpine and 

 the Asiatic species by the form of the horns of the bucks, which are very 

 long, rather slender, and have the outer front angle much bevelled away, 

 so that the true front surflice is relatively narrow, with its transverse 

 knobs proportionately short, while the inner surface is quite fiat. In 

 Wild Oxen, S/n-ip, and Goats the ibex from South-Eastern Arabia, named 

 C. tnengesi by Herr Noack in 1896, was regarded as identical. The author 

 is, however, informed by Dr. Oscar Neumann that it differs by having the 

 inner surface of the horns distinctly convex. The name Nubian ibex 

 should be reserved for the typical African animal. 



