Chapter VI. 



Oriental and African Coats. 



The JVubian. 



This is a breed of which much is said by French 

 writers, but with which we in England have had little 

 to do as a milker. A few Nubians have certainly been 

 brought at various times into this country, but they have 

 either been males, or females that were not in-kid and 

 giving little milk. The first known importation was 

 that which took place in 1883. A pair named respec- 

 tively Arabi Pasha and Aida were brought over by Mr. 

 Paul Thomas from Paris, where they were said to have 

 formed part of a herd descended from stock sent several 

 years previously from Nubia for the Societe Nationale d'Ac- 

 climatation. The second importation was in 1891, when 

 from the same source another Nubian was obtained which 

 was named Ali Baba. From what we know now it is 

 doubtful if the first pair were absolutely pure, as they 

 showed a good deal of the features of the Syrian or 

 Mamber goat. Ali Baba was of a different type, and 

 from descriptions and photographs I have received since 

 from M. Crepin was in all probability a specimen of the 

 Berber variety, a name, by the"' way, which coincides some- 

 what singularly with the name given to the animal itself. 



About the year 1900 two female goats said to be of 

 this kind were sent from the Soudan, where goats of 



