Domesticated Goats. 25 



and arc brown in colour. Those of Goats are usually blackish, 

 directed more upwards, and may be either scimitar-shaped or cork- 

 screw-like. The Wallachian Sheep has, however, upwardly-directed, 

 corkscrew-like horns. The skull of a typical Goat differs from that 

 of a typical Sheep by the absence of a pit for the face-gland, by the 

 circumstance that the part behind the horns is rounded instead of 

 flat, and meets the frontal plane at a very obtuse, instead of nearly 

 at a right angle, and by the more concave profile of the forehead. 

 There are, however, hornless Roman-nosed Domesticated Goats 

 without a beard, and "Wild Sheep without face-glands, so that it 

 is difficult to distinguish between all the members of the two groups. 

 Most Domesticated Goats {Gapra hirms) are descended from the 

 Wild Goat {0. hirms (Bgagrus) of the Mediterranean Isles, Asia 

 Minor, and Persia, although some may have been crossed with other 

 species. The ears may be upright or pendent, and both sexes may 

 be bearded. When present, the horns are often of the scimitar-like 

 form of the wild species, but generally with the tips turned outwards 

 instead of inwards ; they may, however, be spiral like those of the 

 Markhor Wild Goat {G. falconeri) of the Himalaya, although 

 nearly always twisted the opposite way. The Circassian Goat has, 

 however, the spiral running in the same direction as that of the 

 Markhor. 



Goats were domesticated by the Prehistoric Swiss lake-dwellers 

 and the ancient Egyptians. The Angora breed is large, with spiral 

 horns, long silky white hair, and pendent ears. The Shawl-Goats of 

 Tibet are somewhat smaller, with under-fur, or pashm, at the 

 roots of the long hair. Another long-haired breed is the Syrian or 

 Mambar Goat, which is tall and long-limbed, with very long ears, 

 and shaggy silky black hair. In the Egyptian Goat the limbs are 

 long, the horns short or wanting, the head small, with a convex 

 profile, and the beard generally absent ; the short hair is usually 

 reddish brown, tending to yelloAv on the limbs, but may be slaty 

 grey or spotted. In the Sudan breed the horns do not exceed four 

 inches in length, and curve forward at the tips, the limbs being 

 short and stout. The short and thick hair is usually a mixture of 

 black and reddish ; but red, yellowish, brown, black, and spotted 

 examples occur. The black beard reaches the chest, where it divides 

 to spread over the shoulders. The range of this breed extends from 

 the Nile valley to the West Coast of Africa. 



In many parts of the world Domesticated Goats have reverted to 

 a wild or half-wild (feral) condition, as in Scotland, and the islands 

 of Skye, St. Helena, and Juan Fernandez. 



