224 SCENT OF THE CHAMOIS. 



their feeding grounds. In summer the males 

 separate from the females, and in a body resort 

 to the higher regions. Generally speaking the 

 females are very inferior in size to the males, and 

 have much smaller horns. 



A wary old buck, who has often quite a pa- 

 triarchal appearance, is generally chosen as the 

 leader of the herd; and if he sees anything 

 suspicious, or catches a taint in the air, a peculiar 

 whistle alarms the rest, causing them to collect 

 together and remain on the alert, and on a re- 

 petition of the signal away they scamper, always 

 ascending or descending a slope in an oblique 

 direction. Sometimes I have seen an old female 

 lead the herd, and on such occasions I have 

 always found it extremely difficult to get within 

 range, as they are doubly cunning. 



Lions, tigers, panthers, leopards, 

 and animals of this genus, are ge- 

 nerally hunted either by stalking, beating, sitting 

 up by water, or near the carcass of some animal 

 they have killed. 



