THE GOATS. 



105 



named as far as the 65th parallel of northern 

 latitude. It is a wonderfully beautiful animal, 

 of the si/e of a goat, but with more thickset 

 body, stronger legs, and this appearance is 



still further enhanced by the long thick white 

 coat of hair by which it is completely covered. 

 Only the borders of the nose and lips besides 

 the hoofs are naked. This beautiful coat 



Fig. 182. The Markhor (Capra falconer!), page 106. 



consists of a thick close-set down and of 

 stiffer hairs, which become longer on the 

 back so as to form a thick erect mane, 

 extending from between the horns along the 

 middle line of the back to the root of the tail. 

 The pretty thick beard rather forms whiskers 

 than a true goat's beard. The down is not 

 wool composed of flattened and spirally 

 twisted hair, but is, on the contrary, made up 

 of very thin, long, and perfectly cylindrical 

 hairs. The animal undoubtedly shows a 



VOL. II. 



tendency to approach the antelopes in the 

 character of its horns, which are round, with- 

 out edges or tubercles, and feebly ringed at 

 the base, yet the terminal hook is not so well 

 marked as in the chamois. Besides, the tail 

 is not that of a goat. It is covered with hair 

 all round, and, instead of being carried erect, 

 bends down between the legs. These goats 

 may, therefore, be ranked as a separate genus, 

 approaching more closely to the antelopes 

 than others, but belonging to the goats in 



46 



