Rocky Mountain White Goat 329 



wool and hair fly. Thinking it a favourable opportunity, I gave him a ball 

 from my little 8 mm. rifle just as he was turning away from his beaten 

 opponent, and the herd immediately fled. Their leader kept up with the 

 others for some 20 yards only ; then his hind-quarters seemed to collapse, 

 he rolled over on his side, the short legs were stretched convulsively 

 out a couple of times, and all was over. His companions stopped for an 

 instant when he fell, but immediately resumed their flight, the largest 

 of the remaining bulls covering the retreat. On a rising ground about halt 

 a kilometre distant they pulled up to have another look at us, then they 

 disappeared in Indian file behind the ridge." 



THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WHITE GOAT 



[O ream mis montamis) 

 (Plate VII. Fig. 3) 



Properly speaking, this very remarkable ruminant is not a goat at all, 

 and if it possesses a euphonious native name it would be advantageous it this 

 were substituted for the title by which it is commonly known. Rather 

 may it be regarded as a Transatlantic representative of the serow of the 

 Himalaya, which has assumed a pure white livery, relieved only by 

 the jet-black horns and hoofs, to harmonise with the prevailing colour 

 of its natural surroundings. Not that it can be regarded as a very intimate 

 ally even of the serows, the setting-on of the horns being somewhat 

 different, the sockets of the eyes much more prominent, and the 

 muzzle of the skull much wider. Moreover, the cannon-bones are 

 remarkably short and wide, and in this respect difl:er from those ot all 

 allied ruminants. 



Very generally the white goat is described under the name of 



2 u 



