OOAT& 545 



It lives in little bands of five or ten in number, each troop being under the command of an 

 old male, and preserving admiral. 1- order among themselves. Their sentinel is ever on the 

 watch, and at the slightest suspicious sound, scent, or object, tin- warninir whistle is blown, 

 and the whole troop make instantly for the highest attainable jH.int. Tln-ir instinct always 

 leads them upwards, an inborn veKior" l-emir \\o\eii into their Tety natures, and as soon 

 MS th.-y percehe danger. ih.-\ iinaiia!.i\ l--_-iM to IM..IIII! kOAWdi ill" 1m.- of p.-ip. iu.il mOH 

 Tin- yonm; of this animal are produced in April, and in a few hours after their birth tin \ an 

 strong enough to follow their parent. 



The color of the Ibex is a reddish-brown in summer, and gray-brown in winter ; a dark 

 siri|- passes along the spine and over the face, and the abdomen and interior faces of the 

 limbs an- washed w ith whitish gray. The horns ore covered from base to point with strongly 

 marked transverse ridges, the number of which is variable, and is thought l>\ -\\\-- person-, i., 

 denote the age of the animal. In the female the horns are not nearly so large nor so heavily 

 ri<l_'.-d as in the male. The IU-\ i- aNo known un.l.-r th,- nan,,, of Hoi oi I.M v 



THE members of the genus Hircus may be distinguished from the il>ex and the sheep by 

 the jTuliar formation of their In.rns, which an- compressed, are rounded Miind. and funiished 

 with a well -developed keel in front. In some instances the keel is ragged, or appears like a 

 s.Ti.-s of knobs, but in all cases it is prominent I \ OOMpieOOM. 



There are an enormous number of varieties of the common domestic GOAT, many of tln-m 

 being so unlike the original stock from which they sprang as to ap|>ear like a different sjMTies. 

 For the present, we will turn to the common Goat, with which we are all so familiar. This 

 animal is often seen domesticate.!. esj-cially in and alx>ut stables, as then- is a prevalent idea 

 that the rank smell of tin- Goat is U-neiicial to horses. Be this as it may, tin- animal seoms 

 quite at home in a stable, and a very firm friendship often arises U-tween the (ioat and one of 

 the horses. Sometimes it gets so petted by the frequenters of the stables, that it I M Tomes pre- 

 sumptuous, and assaults any one whom it may not happen to recognize as a friend. Happily, 

 a Goat, however belligerent he may be, is easily conquered if his Ix-ard con only ! grasp.- 1. 

 and when he is thus captured, he yields at once to his conqueror, assumes a downcast air, and 

 bleats in a very pitiful tone, as if asking for mercy. 



At the Cape of Good Hope, large flocks of these animals are kept, and are extremely 

 sagacious, needing no goat-herd to watch them, and are altogether more wise than sheep. In 

 the morning they sally out njxm their foraging expeditions, and in the evening they volun- 

 tarily return. It is said that Goats are the only animals that will Itoldly fare fire, and that 

 their chief use in a stable is to lead the horses from the stalls in case of tin- stables being 

 burned. Horses are such nervous, excitable animals, that when their dwelling has taken fire 

 they cannot be induced to face the dreaded element, and must see some other animal lead the 

 way Ifefore they will dare to stir. It is also said, and apparently with reason, that in case of 

 fire, a horse may be easily removed from the scene of danger by harnessing him as usual, 

 instead of trying to lead him out at once. The animal has learned to connect obedience and 

 trustfulness with the harness, and while he l>ears the bit in his mouth, and the saddle or traces 

 on his back, he will go wherever he may be led. Blindfolding the horse is another good 

 method of inducing the animal to follow its guide without hesitation. 



The Goat is, like several other domesticated animals, able to foretell stormy weather, and 

 always contrives to place itself under shelter before the advent of a storm. The flesh of the 

 Goat is not held in great estimation, and even that of the kid, which is comparatively tender 

 and well-flavored, has fallen into disrepute. The milk is, however, in some demand, being of 

 a rather peculiar flavor, which is grateful to certain palates. 



In its wild state, the Goat is a fleet and agile animal, delighting in rocks and precipitous 

 localities, and treading their giddy heights with a foot as sure and an > as steady as that of 

 the chamois or ibex. Even in domesticated life this love of clamberine is never eradicated, 

 and wherever may be an accessible roof, or rock, or even a hill, there the Goat may be gener- 

 ally found. 



