230 



EUMINANTIA. 



wrought into cloth. This was one of the animals offered in sac- 

 rifice by the ancient Hebrews ; it was this Goat over which the 

 Jewish High Priest, putting his hands on the Goat's head, " con- 

 fessed the iniquities of the children of Israel," and then "sent 

 him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness." The 

 long ears of this animal illustrate those words of scripture, 

 Amos iii. 12, "As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the 

 lion .... a piece of an ear." So large and thick are the ears 

 of this Goat that they make a considerable mouthful even for a 

 lion. 



C. Ibex. The IBEX. 



Of this species there are several varieties in the mountain 

 ranges of Europe, Asia and Africa, but more especially those 

 of Asia and the bordering parts of Europe, all, however, resem- 

 bling each other in their structure and general habits. This ani- 

 mal is much larger and stronger than the common domestic 

 Goat. " The color is a deep hoary brown, the under parts of 

 the body and insidesof the limbs are of a much paler and whitish 

 hue ; the body is thick, short and strong ; it has a small head, 

 large eyes, and strong legs; very short hoofs ; a short tail ; and 

 extremely large and long arched, brown colored horns, with knobs 

 on the upper surface." (Plate VII. fig. 15.) The fore legs are 

 considerably shorter than the hind, which enables the animal 

 to ascend more easily than he can descend lofty mountain heights. 

 In manners and voice the Ibex is much like the Chamois. It 

 is found in small flocks consisting of ten or fifteen individuals. 

 When hard pressed, these animals sometimes turn upon the 

 hunter, hurling him down the most frightful declivity. It is a 

 native of the Carpathian and Pyrenean mountains and of the Alps. 

 C. Americana. ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT. 

 These animals inhabit the lofty chain of mountains whence 

 they' derive their name, ranging from 40oto 65o North Latitude- 

 They resort to grassy knolls begirt with craggy rocks as afford- 

 ing them places of refuge against the onsets of dogs and wolves , 

 visiting, daily, caves in the mountains said to be encrusted with 

 an effervescence of salt, of which they are fond ; they are of 

 larger size than the common Goat, have black horns, which are 

 ^ smooth and polished at the tips, and curved backwards, and ob- 

 '* scurely ringed at the base, where they are sometimes a foot in 

 circumference. On account of the great size of the horns, this 

 animal is called by the hunters, the " Big-horn." The muzzi* 

 is extremely small ; the color white ; the hair long and straight; 

 the skin very thick and spongy, and principally used in making 

 moccasins. The flesh, when it is in season, is said to exceed m 



