Chapter V. 



Continental Milch Coats. 



The Goats of .France. 



An inquiry was instituted in 1883 by the Societe 

 Nationale d'Acclimatation of Paris on the subject of goat- 

 keeping in France, and various questions were drawn up 

 and sent to correspondents in the different departments, 

 having reference to the varieties kept in each, the methods 

 of treatment, utilisation of products, and other matters 

 of interest. The result was embodied in a report drawn 

 up by Monsieur J. Gautier and published in the Journal 

 of the Society. From the answers to questions put, it 

 would appear that there is even greater variety among the 

 goats of France than of Great Britain ; but at the same time 

 there exists no particular French breed (though M. 

 Gautier himself is of a contrary opinion). The charac- 

 teristics differ chiefly in those departments bordering on 

 the Alps and Pyrenees, the goats of these mountains being 

 of quite a distinct type from the rest, as also from each 

 other. If we except these goats (which belong perhaps 

 as much to the countries bordering the Alps on the other 

 side as to France) and one other which I am about to 

 describe, we do not find even in M. Crepin's book any 

 absolutely French breeds, though he mentions many 

 varieties resulting from crossings between the Alpine and 

 Pyrenean and the common goat. Amongst these, though 



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