110 OKU OAPRA. 



other which has rendered the point of their separa- 

 tion disputed by various naturalists. We shall give 

 the characters, however, placed to each hy Major 

 Smith, and consider, that, for the sake of simplicity, 

 and ease of arrangement, they are best kept sepa- 

 rate, even although Frederic Cuvier, a high autho- 

 rity, has said, that a better idea of the characters 

 will be obtained by a figure than by a description, 

 for that they have nothing in reality that can be 

 expressed by language. It may be premised that 

 they are distinguished from the true antelopes, " by 

 the osseous nucleus of the horns being partially 

 porous or cellular, communicating with the sinus of 

 the frontals," a structure to which we saw an ap- 

 proach in the Cambing ootan of Sumatra. And 

 Mr Hodgson adds to this, as a " strong and inva- 

 riable distinction, Males not odorous in the Sheep, 

 as opposed to the males odorous in the genus Capra 

 or Goat." * They inhabit alpine districts, often up- 

 on the limits of perpetual snow, are extremely ac- 

 tive and sure footed, and climb with the greatest 

 ease and security. They are at present known to 

 inhabit Europe, Asia, and Africa Aplocerus be- 

 ing the nearest approach to them in America. 



Capra or Goat, Linn. Horns common to both 

 sexes, rarely wanting in the females ; in domes- 

 ticated races occasionally absent in both, direct- 

 ed upwards or depressed backwards, more or less 

 angular and nodose. No muzzle, lachrymal sinus, 

 Proceedings of Zool. Soc. Sept. 9. 1834. 



