40 The Boofc of the Goat. 



THE ALPINE. According to the author of " La 

 Chevre," the pure Alpine should possess the following 

 points : " Neat head, wide at the forehead, with a slight 

 prominence over the eyebrows. Eyes, well formed, light 

 brown in colour, and with a gentle expression. Ears erect 

 and of medium length, but horn-shaped and sometimes 

 rather heavy. The muzzle is well pronounced, as it 

 should be in a large feeder. The body is long, with a 

 well-developed stomach. The coat is short, allowance 

 being made for a fringe of hair over the spinal column 

 and on the thighs. The colour is variable, with different 

 shades even on the same animal, and is strongly marked 

 by streaks or washes in all the tones of black, grey, 

 chestnut, fawn, and even a. brown-mauve. The 

 Alpine develops rapidly and soon attains a good size, 

 measuring from 31 in. to 3 7 in. in height, and weigh- 

 ing from i54lb. to i981b. The length of the body 

 from the head to the root of the tail is, in the she-goat, 

 from 45in. to 47in. In the male, which is often nearly 

 4oin. at the withers, the hair is much longer and closer, 

 covering the greater part of the forequarters." Whilst 

 this writer regards the Alpine as the pure breed, and the 

 Toggenburg and Saanen as varieties of it, German and 

 Swiss authorities class these latter only as pure, and the 

 Alpine as a nondescript common goat. This seems much 

 more correct. 



Mr. G. F. Thompson in his American treatise on 

 goats (previously referred to), quoting from Mr. Peer, 

 who, he says, made no little effort to learn .something about 

 it, writes : " The Alpine goat may be termed the native 

 goat of Switzerland, corresponding in name to our 

 ' Common ' goat and the German ' Farm goat,' but not 

 corresponding in important characteristics. These goats 

 are found throughout the whole Alpine chain. There is 

 but little uniformity amongst them, and therefore they 



