Continental Milch Coats. 51 



black on the head, neck, and forequarters, and pure white 

 on the rest of the body and hindquarters, the division of 

 the two colours being sharply defined. The Schwarzhals, 

 known also locally as the " Glacier goat " and " Saddle 

 goat," comes from the Canton Valais, and is especially 

 numerous in the Rhone Valley as far as Sierre. One writer 

 gives its height as from 28in. to 3oin., but says its full 

 size is not attained until it is from four to five years old. 

 All who have seen this breed in Switzerland agree that it is 

 singularly picturesque and handsome, the male especially 

 being a noble-looking animal. He has large spreading 

 horns, a broad forehead, but short head, with, like all 

 Swiss goats, a somewhat coarse muzzle. His beard is of 

 immense length and very thick. The hair is abundant also 

 over his neck and chest, and there is often a tuft on the 

 forehead, with long hair like whiskers on the cheeks. In 

 the female the horns rise up close together with a gradual 

 curve backwards. The ears are sometimes carried upright 

 and sometimes horizontally. This breed is very hardy, as 

 it need be, for according to Mr. Bryan Hook these goats 

 are not so carefully treated and housed as are those of the 

 Toggenburg, and after being milked are driven off 

 to spend the night on the mountain side. Very few 

 specimens of the Schwarzhals have been brought to 

 England, and, in fact, this is not a kind of goat that would 

 find favour with us. The long horns and long hair, 

 and the fact that it is but an indifferent milker, are 

 not points that would commend it to the practical English 

 goat-keeper. Yet it is said a large exportation takes place 

 every year from Switzerland, herds being sent to France, 

 Holland, Italy, Germany, and Austria, where this goat is 

 in great repute. The prices of she-goats vary between ^3 

 and ^4. Fig. 10, on page 93, shows a she-goat of 

 this breed which was imported into England many years 

 ago by the late Mr. P. Thomas. 



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