45G M. H. Dinaik on the Caucasian 



rocks and precipices never yet trodden by the foot of man, 

 and also abounds in wild goats. One day, the 29th June 

 1874, I saw three herds — one of 23, another of 15, and a 

 third of 33 or 34 head ; thus upwards of 70 head in a single 

 day. 



In completely uninhabited places the habits of the goat are 

 distinguished by a few more or less important peculiarities. 

 In such localities they keep in comparatively low parts, fre- 

 quently where there are absolutely no snow-fields or glaciers, 

 neither do they avoid the forests ; they may therefore often 

 be seen on the upper limit of the tree-zone between isolated 

 peaks. At night they doubtless descend much lower ; be- 

 sides which, they are not so watchful, passing the greater 

 part of the day quietly asleep, and may at such times be ap- 

 proached to within 200 paces on open ground. But in inha- 

 bited localities the contrary is the case. Here, during the day, 

 they climb to an enormous height, and lie under projecting 

 crags on the glacier or snow-field, preferring such places 

 whence danger is visible afar off. They are even rarely met 

 with on the lower part of the glacier, probably because they 

 find it not elevated enough, and therefore insecure; but they 

 may be seen on snow-fields 1000 feet above the snow-line. 

 At about that height I saw two large herds in 1874 on the 

 western slope of Elbruz. The ridge on which they hap- 

 pened to be was covered with snow with here and there a 

 protruding crag devoid of all vegetation. 



The wild goat is thoroughly gregarious in its habits. I 

 have seen herds of 4, 8, 15, and upwards of 30, and an expe- 

 rienced hunter assured me that during winter he had seen 

 upwards of 100 in a herd. Old males sometimes live apart, 

 but mostly associate with the rest. Thus, at the sources of 

 the Doiit, I have seen a herd of 8 goats, and among them three 

 or four with huge horns ; and in a large herd seen on Elbruz 

 there were ten old males. Females with young only pass the 

 first few days after parturition in seclusion ; afterwards they 

 join the herd, and assort with females and males. The young- 

 animals of one and a half or two years old either keep company 

 with the old, or form small distinct coteries. 



These goats generally pass their day thus : — Before evening 

 they assemble on the lower ground in search of better and 

 richer pasturage. In those places where they are but little 

 molested, this movement begins about 4 or 5 o'clock in the 

 afternoon in summer by their rapidly crossing the snow-fields 

 and bare detritus, only occasionally stopping to assure them- 

 selves of their safety and to scent the air ; they will also be 

 attracted for awhile by a good patch of herbage. At such 



