42 The 'Book of the Goat. 



colour, which pervades the coat generally, with markings 

 of a darker shade along the back extending to the tail, 

 the face, ears, chest, and shoulders. The head is 

 short and lightly set on, the forehead being somewhat 

 depressed. The horns (in the female) are slight, and take 

 a more or less vertical direction, separating as they rise 

 with a rather sharp curve downwards at the extremities. 

 The hair is short and thick on the body, but longer on the 

 back and thighs, a feature noticeable in most breeds that 

 are much exposed to the weather. 



This goat is but little sought after for exportation, but 

 Crepin has introduced a considerable number into France, 

 and it is very popular in Belgium, where it is being en- 

 couraged in the establishment of an improved Belgian 

 breed. 



Mr. G. F. Thompson, in his American work, 

 " Information Concerning the Milch Goats," already 

 alluded to, makes mention of the Guggisberger goat, 

 which he says " is sometimes called the ' Schwarzenburg- 

 Guggisberger, ' and was originally from the Simmen 

 Valley." We are told that "it is brown, spotted like 

 the chamois, commonly has horns, and is considered 

 very excellent for milk"; also that Hilpert (presumably 

 a German writer, as Thompson gets his information 

 largely from German authorities) describes it as being 

 built like the Saanen with which it has been exten- 

 sively crossed of late years " but of fawn colour or 

 brownish white and of astonishing size," and says that 

 "it is excelled by no other breed of goat in milk produc- 

 tion when under good care and feed." It is finally said 

 to be "a near relative of the ' Oberhaslian goat.' " A 

 picture of the Guggisberger is given in Thompson's book, 

 which shows a very long-bodied, even-coated " doe," horn- 

 less, and with a large spherical udder. There can be no 

 doubt, however, that the Guggisberger is only another 



