78 SYLVICULTURE IN THE TROPICS n.i 



seedlings and young shoots which come within its easy 

 reach, but it stands on its hind legs and drags down 

 branches of young trees. As it is a prolific breeder the 

 damage which it does unaided is immense, and this 

 damage is intensified frequently by the help of the o-oat- 

 herd, who pulls clown branches or lops them, or even 

 cuts through young trees, in order to let his beasts feed 

 on the crowns. In places where fellings have been 

 made, the goats, unless restricted, will go and nibble 

 at and destroy the young coppice shoots as they show 

 themselves, and ultimately kill the stumps. The only 

 animal which can compare with, or even exceed, the 

 goat in destruction of forest is the camel, which will 

 strip a whole twig of bark and leaves, even when it is 

 armed with spines or prickles. Owing to its greater 

 size the camel is able to carry on its depredations to 

 a much greater height than the goat, and also to reach 

 much farther into the crown of a young tree. These 

 two animals together have done an enormous amount 

 of forest destruction. The late Mr. Floyer, in an article 

 which appeared in the Kew Bulletin, commenting on 

 the names of certain valleys and other places which are 

 called after trees, no trace of which is now to be found 

 within the locality, states that before the Muhammadan 

 invasion all the " Wadis" 1 of Upper Egypt were well 

 stocked with trees, and that their conversion into desert 

 has been caused by the large herds of camels and goats 

 which were brought into the country, the latter assisted 

 by the billhook of the goat-herd. Later, the charcoal- 

 burner came and even stubbed up the roots and other 

 remains of woody vegetation left behind, and the work 

 was complete. To this is probably due the formation 

 of sand-drifts which now invade the country. Examples 

 of immense injury due to goats might be multiplied ; 

 their power of doing evil is so much recognised in 

 European countries that they are excluded from reserved 

 forests. Buffaloes are also animals which browse as 

 much as they graze, and in certain parts of India they 



1 Valleys and watercourses. 



