450 M. H. Dinnik on the Caucasian 



LX. — On the Caucasian Mountain- Goat (Capra caucasica, 

 Guld.). By H. Dinnik*. 



[Plate XIV.] 



There are three, according to some data four, kinds of wild 

 goat in the Caucasus. One of these is easily distinguishable 

 from all the rest by its flattened horns and their sharp anterior 

 rib t- Many observers consider it, together with the domestic 

 and Kashmirian goat {Ilircus Falconen,K\JigQ\),ii representa- 

 tive of a distinct species. This is the so called Bezoar goat 

 [Hircus cfgagrus). Pallas first made of it a separate species, 

 and named it jEgoceros (egagrus [Capra a'gagrus, Gm.). Its 

 horns bend backwards in a gradual curve and form more 

 than a half-circle : at first they slightly diverge, but again 

 approach one another towards tiie tips ; the sharp front rib 

 has a few large nodules, while that at the back is smoother; 

 their outer and iimer surfaces are wrinkled ; the transverse 

 section is oval, the longer diameter being twice as great as 

 the shorter. 



The Bezoar goat inhabits the Southern Caucasus, Armenia, 

 Persia, the Taurus, and possibly the island of Crete. In the 

 Kuban and Western Terek regions I not only did not meet 

 with this goat, but did not even once see its horns, which are 

 common in Transcaucasia. I therefore consider its chief 

 habitat to be the mountains of the Southern Caucasus and the 

 southern slope of the main chain J. Pallas considers it to be 

 the parent of various kinds of domestic goats, and his view is 

 confirmed by comparing their horns. 



Other kinds of Caucasian goats have horns more or less 



* Translated from vol. xiii. of the ' Works of the Society of Naturalists 

 of St. Petersburg' by Delmar Morgan, F.K.G.S. 



[The two Caucasian wild goats, Capra caucasica and C. Pallasii (which, 

 as may be seen by the mounted and correctly named specimens in the 

 gallei-y of the British Museum, are quite distinct), having been confounded 

 together by Blasius, Gray, and other recent authorities, including myself 

 (P. Z. S. 1886, p. 314), I think that the pi-esent translation, which gives 

 much information on the subject, will be acceptable to those naturalists 

 who cannot understand the original. I am indebted to Dr. Strauch, of 

 the Imperial Museum of St. Petersbm-g, for a copy of the original, and to 

 Mr. Delmar Morgan for his kindness in making the translation. — P. L. 



SCLATEB.] 



t These horns have two raised surfaces, an outer and an inner, besides 

 two ribs, one in front sharp, and one behind rounded. 



X According to M. Kadde, Hircus <eyagrus is more frequently met with 

 at the sources of the Argun than Capra Pallasii (Znpiski Caucasus Sec- 

 tion Geogr. Soc. fasc. xi. pt. '2, p. 251, 1881). 



