Mountain- Ooai (Oapra caucasica, Oiild.). 451 



rounded (let it be understood we are speaking here of males, 

 as the horns of females are not very characteristic). Their 

 transverse section near the base is triangular or square, with 

 rounded corners, and in some cases almost round. To this 

 group belongs the goat inhabiting Mount Kazbek and its sur- 

 rounding mountains. It was first described in 1841 by K. F. 

 Rouiller under the name of ^goceros Fallasti'^, and was after- 

 wards named by Schinz f Capra Pallasii, a name now gene- 

 rally accepted. 



Rouiller has well remarked that ^goceros Pallasii is a tran- 

 sitional form between the goat and the sheep. Its horns are 

 almost triangular at the base, then round, and only flat towards 

 the tips, while their twist is peculiar ; they first grow upwards 

 and outwards, then backwards and downwards, finally inwards 

 and upwards, forming a spiral or screw characteristic of sheep's 

 horns. Rouiller was therefore fully justified in describing 

 this animal as a goat with sheep's horns. The surface of the 

 horns is intersected by a number of wrinkles, and there are 

 slight nodules in front. The muzzle of this goat is hooked, like 

 a sheep's ; its body is long ; its tail long, like that of a sheep, 

 round and hairy below ; but the hoofs are relatively blunt. 

 This species therefore has other points of resemblance to the 

 sheep besides its horns. According to the reports of hunters 

 it frequents less elevated mountains than goats in general. 



A specimen of this goat was presented to the Moscow Uni- 

 versity by Yermolof about the year 1840, and Rouiller founded 

 upon it his description ; subsequently two skins of the same 

 species were obtained for the Academy of Sciences by Reout, 

 and there are now, to the best of my belief, three or four stuffed 

 specimens in the museum of the Academy |. 



Another species belonging to this group is Capra caucasica 

 of Guldenstedt, or ^goceros ammon of Pallas. This is a true 

 goat, closely resembling the Alpine species [Capra ibex, Linn.). 

 Though some zoologists confound it with Capra Pallasii^, 

 yet the two are so distinct that it is positively impossible to 

 identify them as one and the same animal. 



* Rouiller, Bull, des Nat. de Moscou, 1841, p. 910. 



t [This is not quite the case. Schinz's Capra Palladi is merely a 

 synonym of C sihirica, Pallas. See his article in Neue Denkschr. d. 

 allg. Schweiz. Gesellsch. ii. p. 3 (1838).— P. L. S.] 



I Its horns may always be seen at the Kazbek station of the Georgian 

 military road. 



§ Blasius, in Lis work ' Naturgeschichte der SaugetLiere,' is doubtless 

 in error in regarding Capra cai(casica, Giild., and JEyoceros Pallasii, 

 Rouill., as synonyms. His drawing, with the inscription " Capra caicca- 

 sica'' {-p. 'i7[)), re])Teseuts ALyocerus Pallasii, Ilouill., and very faithfully 

 portrays the peculiarities of the horns of this animal. 



