THE HIMALAYAN IBEX. 139 



With a heavy heart I now climbed up to inspect the place 

 where the ibex had been lying, when the distance to it was 

 found to be much greater than it had at first appeared. The 

 bullet had struck just under the spot from which the animal 

 had risen, and, after perforating the ground he was resting 

 on, had in all probability entered his stomach. This perhaps 

 accounted for his starting off in such a hurry, and separating 

 himself from the herd, such being very unusual with ibex 

 that have not been much disturbed, if un wounded. I had 

 misjudged the distance, owing to my having, at that time, 

 but a vague idea of the size of a full-grown buck ibex. Such 

 a misfortune as this would not, however, be likely to occur 

 with the flat trajectory rifles of the present day. 



The full-grown buck ibex of the Himalayas (Capra sibirica), 

 or khel, as it is called in the mountains of Cashmere, and 

 more eastward on the Himalayas " skin," stands about 3 feet 

 6 inches at the shoulder, and is very stoutly built. Its general 

 appearance, haunts, and habits are much the same as those of 

 the Alpine " bouquetin," or " steinbok," but it attains a much 

 larger size of both body and horn. The colour of the ibex is 

 not easily described, as, like that of most wild animals, it alters 

 considerably at different seasons of the year, and some bucks 

 are very much darker than others. In the spring it is a very 

 dirty white, shaded off on the shoulders and flanks into a 

 brownish grey, which merges into brown on the legs. A 

 brown line runs along the back, ending in a very dark-brown 

 short tail. The head and neck are reddish brown, and a 

 nearly black beard, about 6 inches long, depends from the chin. 

 Late in the season the dirty white becomes more decidedly 

 brown. Under the rough outer coat grows a soft kind of 

 down known as " pushum," which, like that of the domestic 

 goat of these mountains, is used in the manufacture of the 

 finest of Cashmere fabrics called " pushmeena," of which the 

 shawls are made. 



The general appearance of the magnificent curved and 



