GOATHLAND 



3571 



GOATS-BEARD 



males are usually bearded, and 

 have a strong odour. They lack 

 the glands on the hind feet, and 

 have callosities on the knees. 

 While they live in herds, they as- 

 sociate less intimately and are of 

 more independent disposition than 

 sheep. The flesh of the kid is ex- 

 cellent, but that of the adult is 

 apt to be tough and rank. 



The goat in its wild state in- 

 habits the Eastern hemisphere ex- 

 clusively, the so-called Rocky 

 Mountain goat of N. America not 

 being a true goat, but belonging to 

 a genus approaching the antelopes. 

 It is widely spread in S. Europe 

 and Asia, but in Africa only 

 occurs wild in Egypt and Abys- 

 sinia. So far as is known, the 

 wild goat has never inhabited 

 the British Islands, the so-called 

 wild goats of some parts of Scot- 

 land and the Achill Islands being 

 domesticated goats that have 

 taken to a feral life. Only about ten 

 species of wild goat are recognized 

 by naturalists, and of these three 

 or four are more generally known 

 by the name of ibex (q.v.). 



The true wild goat is a native 

 of Persia, Asia Minor, and some 

 of the Mediterranean islands, and 

 it is from this species that the do- 

 mesticated goat has descended. 

 The varied form of the horns in 

 domesticated varieties suggests 

 their mixed origin. Its domestica- 

 tion dates from prehistoric days, 

 for its remains have been found in 

 the Swiss lake dwellings, and it 

 was well established in the earliest 

 Egyptian period. Among domes- 

 ticated breeds maybe specially men- 

 tioned the Cashmere and Angora 

 goats, noted for their very valuable 

 silky hair. See Cashmere Goat. 



GOAT KEEPING. Goats are kept 

 in large numbers in many countries, 

 both for the sake of their hides and 

 hair, and also as a source of dairy 

 products. Their value is not fully 

 realized in Great Britain, although 

 a British and an Irish goat society 

 have both done valuable work. To 

 cottagers and smallholders the goat 

 is of particular value as a milk pro- 

 ducer. It is very hardy, easy to keep, 

 and thrives on a miscellaneous diet. 

 Value of Goats' Milk 



Goats' milk is relatively rich in 

 butter-fat and casein, its per- 

 centage composition being : water, 

 85-71 ; casein, 3 '20 ; albumin, 

 1'09; milk-sugar, 4 '46 ; fat, 4'78 ; 

 ash, 0-76. Goats are almost free 

 from tuberculosis, and infants fed 

 on their milk not only thrive but 

 are saved from the danger of con- 

 tracting this disease. If perfect 

 cleanliness is maintained, espe- 

 cially by careful washing of the 

 udders before milking, the un- 

 popular "goaty" flavour is en- 



Goat. 1. Toggenburg. 2. Nubian. 3. Anglo-Nubian. 

 Nubian goatling 



4. Irish. 5. Anglo- 



tirely prevented. Butter made 

 from goats' milk is white and un- 

 attractive looking, but this can 

 be got over by the addition of 

 colouring matter. Goat cheeses 

 are much esteemed in many coun- 

 tries. A goat is not worth keep- 

 ing unless it yields at least 2 

 quarts per day at kidding, but this 

 amount is often largely exceeded. 

 To secure good results a suitable 

 breed must be selected, and breed- 

 ing must be carried out from 

 milking strains. The Toggenburg 

 breed is most esteemed, after which 

 come Anglo - Swiss and Anglo- 

 Nubian crosses. 



The best time for mating is 

 Sept. to March, but by using the 

 foreign breeds or crosses with them, 

 kidding can be arranged for any 

 time, and a winter supply of milk 

 ensured. Kids not required for 

 addition to the herd are killed at 

 birth, especially the male. Those 

 which are kept require suckling for 

 two or even three months. Except 

 for a little corn, summer feeding 

 (May to August) costs hardly any- 

 thing, the animals being tethered on 

 rough grazing. At other times the 

 grass available must be supple- 

 mented by a miscellaneous ration, 

 which may include hay, roots, offals, 

 cake, and various scraps, such as 

 potato-peelings, garden refuse, and 

 acorns. Water and salt must be 

 provided. A few animals can be 

 housed during winter, hi any avail- 

 able building, but a herd should 

 be accommodated in a suitably 

 constructed goat-house. See The 

 Book of the Goat, H. S. H. Pegler, 

 5th ed. 1917. 



Goathland. Parish and village 

 of N.R. Yorkshire, England. It is 

 8 m. S.W. of Whitby, on the N.E. 



Rly. Here is a cottage colony for 

 disabled officers. Goathland Moor 

 lies 2 m. S. of the village, and is 

 noted for its cataracts. Pop. 519. 

 Goat Moth. Large moth of the 

 genus Cossus, common in most parts 

 of Great Britain. The fore wings, 



Goat Moth. Specimen of Cossus 

 ligniperda 



often over 3 ins. in expanse, are 

 pale grey clouded with brown, with 

 a kind of network of fine brown 

 lines. The hind wings are grey, 

 with very fine reticulations. The 

 caterpillar is flesh colour, with 

 reddish brown patches, and is 

 almost hairless. It has an offensive 

 goatlike smell, from which the moth 

 derives its name. It lives in the 

 wood of willow and other trees, 

 and as it takes three years to come 

 to maturity, does great damage to 

 the timber. It is about 3 ins. long. 

 Goat's-beard (Tragopogon pra- 

 tensis). Perennial herb of the 

 natural order Compositae. A 

 native of Europe and N. and W. 

 Asia, it has a tap-root with milky 

 juice, and the slender, alternate 

 leaves, which clasp the stem at their 



