212 THE CHAMOIS. 



The Chamois is one of the most wary of Antelopes, and possesses the 

 power of scenting mankind at an almost incredible distance. Even the 

 old and half-obliterated footmarks which a man has made in the snow 

 are sufficient to startle the sensitive fears of this animal, which has been 

 observed to stop in mid-career down a mountain-side, and to bound 

 away at right angles to its former course, merely because it had come 

 across the track which had been left by the steps of some mountain- 

 traveller. Like all animals which live in herds, however small, they 

 always depute one of their number to act as sentinel. They are not, 

 however, entirely dependent on the vigilance of their picket, but are 

 always on the alert to take alarm at the least suspicious scent, sight, or 

 sound, and to communicate their fears to their comrades by a peculiar 

 warning whistle. As soon as this sound is heard, the entire herd take 

 to flight. 



Their ears are as acute as their nostrils, so that there are few animals 

 which are more difficult of approach than the Chamois. Only those who 

 have been trained to climb the giddy heights of the Alpine mountains, 

 to traverse the most fearful precipices with a quiet pulse and steady 

 head, to exist for days amid the terrible solitudes of ice, rock, and snow, 

 and to sustain almost every imaginable hardship in the pursuit of their 

 game, — only these, or in very rare instances those who have a natural 

 aptitude for the sport, and are, in consequence, soon initiated into its 

 requisite accomplishments, can hope to come within even long rifle range 

 of a Chamois when the animal is at large upon its native cliffs. 



The food of the Chamois consists of the various herbs which grow 

 upon the mountains, and in the winter season it finds its nourishment 

 on the buds of sundry trees, mostly of an aromatic nature, such as the 

 fir, pine, and juniper. In consequence of this diet the flesh assumes a 

 rather powerful odor, which is decidedly repulsive to the palates of some 

 persons, while others seem to appreciate the peculiar flavor, and to value 

 it as higlily as the modern gourmand appreciates the " gamey " flavor 

 of long-kept venison. The skin is largely employed in the manufacture 

 of a certain leather, which is widely famous for its soft though tough 

 character. The color of the Chamois is yellowish brown upon the 

 greater portion of the body, the spinal line being marked with a black 

 streak. In the winter months the fur darkens and becomes blackish 

 bro^yn. The face, cheeks, and throat are of a yellowish-white hue, di- 

 versified by a dark brownish-black band which passes from the corner 

 of the mouth to the eyes, when it suddenly dilates and forms a nearly 

 perfect ring round the eyes. The horns are jetty black and highly pol- 

 ished, especially toward the tips, which are extremely sharp. There 

 are several obscure rings on the basal portions, and their entire surface 

 is marked with longitudinal lines. 



Several varieties of the Chamois are recorded, but the distinctions 



