352 THE COMMON GOAT. 



hair which covers its body, and the long beard 

 which hangs from its chin, give to it a peculiarly 

 solemn figure and countenance. Its disposition, 

 when unprovoked, is, for the most part, sufficiently 

 mild: but its passions are often suddenly roused, 

 and in this case it becomes ill-natured, and butts at 

 the offender with great ferocity. 



In some parts of the continent, the Goat is 

 an animal extremely essential to the comforts of 

 the lower classes of the peasantry. Though fed 

 only on the most uncultivated and barren grounds, 

 it affords to them an abundance of milk, butter, 

 and cheese. In highly mountainous countries, the 

 Sheep or Cow are by no means so much within the 

 reach of the cottager's economy as the Goat; nor 

 would these, in such countries, be any thing near- 

 so useful or productive. 



There are none of our domestic animals which 

 have so powerful, and, at one season of the year, 

 (during the months of September and October,) 

 so fetid a smell as these. It is believed that this 

 odour is a great preventive of disease in Horses; 

 and on this account Goats are generally kept about 

 the stables of inns, and of those persons who have 

 extensive studs. 



The female goats usually produce two, some- 

 times three, and, rarely, four young ones at a 

 birth. Their period of gestation is about eighteen 

 weeks; and their time of breeding is generally 



from 



