342 Jnfroductivn of the 



these goats were extremely gentle and familiar, partly owing 

 to the mode in which they are reared in Thibet, and partly 

 owing to a long sea voyage, they are courageous; and, as the 

 female as well as the male is provided with powerful horns, 

 it is not likely that the fox would attack them, as he never 

 attempts the horned sheep unless they are reduced by disease. 

 In their native country, the goats are driven in, in the 

 evening, for the purpose of milking the females ; and it appears 

 that they are also provided with sheds, in which they may 

 occasionally be sheltered from the rain. Their habits are, in 

 fact, those of a domestic and not of a wild animal ; and to this 

 care is probably owing much of their good qualities, and of the 

 various degrees of excellence which are found in the wool in 

 different situations. It would, therefore, be proper for those 

 who may repeat the experiments on their cultivation in this 

 country, to bear these circumstances in mind, and to provide 

 them with that shelter and attention which they seem to 

 require. 



With respect to their pasture, it is found, that they not 

 only shun the rich grasses, but that this food is injurious to 

 their health and to their fleeces. In this respect they resemble 

 the common goat of this country, who invariably avoids these 

 pastures, if he can get access to rocky land, covered with a 

 variety of shrubs and plants. In their native hills, they thus 

 travel for great distances among the dry and scanty pasturages ; 

 and this free range and exercise is considered to be conducive 

 to their health. They are found to subsist indiscriminately, like 

 their species elsewhere, on all the plants and shrubs within 

 their reach, and chiefly, it is said, on several aromatic plants, 

 and on a prickly shrub which Mr. Moorcroft calls furze. Of 

 this, no botanical description has been given, and it has been 

 supposed, that it cannot be the Ulex Europeans. This, how- 

 ever, does not follow, as many of the common European 

 plants are found to inhabit the high mountains of middle 

 Asia, and as it appears that even our common gooseberry 

 plant is found in the mountains in question. In this country, 

 it has been ascertained that they eat the common furze with 



