SHEEP AND GOAT; aj 



The blue goat of the Cape of Good Hope, may be ranked as a 

 fourth variety : is in fliape like the domeflic, but nearly the fize 

 of a {lag. Its hair very fliort, of a delightful blue j which it lofes 

 greatly when dead : has a very long beard i horns not fo long in pro- 

 portion as in others ; turned fpirally : has very long legs, but well 

 proportioned j the fiefh is well tailed, but lean j therefore chiefly killed 

 for its fliin : abounds in the uncultivated parts j where are found others, 

 beautifully fpotted with red, white, and brown. 



The Juida(or Whida) goat rcfembles ours, except in fize, being much 

 fmaller : is common in Guinea, Angola, and along the coaft of 

 Africa : is not much larger than a hare, but extremely fat, and its fielh 

 admirably tailed : is in that country univerfally preferred to mutton. 



The foregoing are certainly known to belong to the goat kind ; 

 there are others nearly refembling the goat, whofe kindred is not 

 equally evident : for being found in a Hate of nature, they have not 

 been fufficiently fubjeded to obfervation. Thefe are the Chamois and 

 the Ibex J both approach the goat in figure, and have horns that never 

 flied i but, at the fame time, differ more from each other than from 

 the animal in quellion. 



They are both natives of the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the mountains 

 of Greece j there they continue to exift in vail numbers, in fpite of 

 hunters and bealls of prey that incelTantly purfuc them. 



The Ibex rcfembles the goat in Ihape j but the horns are much 

 larger; are bent backward, full of knots j and it is generally aflerted 

 that a knot is added every year. Some of thefe are found two yards 

 long. The male ibex has a large black beard, is of a brown colour, 

 with a thick warm coat of hair; a ftreak of black runs along the top 

 of the back ; the belly and back of the thighs are of a fawn colour. 



The Chamois, though wild, is docile, and eafily tamed; is about 

 the fize of a domellic goat, which it much refemblcs j is agreeable, 

 lively, and active beyond exprcffion. The chamois' hair is (horti in 

 fpring is alh coloured ; in autumn dun, inclining to black ; in winter, 

 blackilh brown : abounds in the mountains of Dauphiny, of Piedmont, 

 Savoy, Switzerland, and Germany : is peaceful, gentle, and lives in 

 fociety, in flocks of from four to fourfcore, or an hundred, difperfcd 

 on the crags of the mountains. The large males feed detached, 

 except when they approach the females, and drive away the young; 

 which is during October and November : bring forth in March and 

 April. The young keep with the dam five months, or longer, if not 



feparated : 



