SHEEP AND GOAT KIND. 265 



broken off in such a manner, that the small ani- 

 mals of the forest creep into the cavity for shel- 

 ter.* When the musmon is seen standing on the 

 plain, his fore-legs are always straight, while his 

 hinder legs seem bent under him ; but in cases 

 of more active necessity this seeming deformity 

 is removed, and he moves with great swiftness 

 and agility. The female very much resembles the 

 male of this species, but that she is less, and her 

 horns also are never seen to grow to that pro- 

 digious size they are of in the wild ram. Such is 

 the sheep in its savage state, a bold, noble, and 

 even beautiful animal ; but it is not the most 

 beautiful creatures that are always found most 

 useful to man. Human industry has therefore 

 destroyed its grace, to improve its utility. 



THE GOAT, AND ITS NUMEROUS VARIETIES. 



THERE are some domestic animals that seem as 

 auxiliaries to the more useful sorts, and that, by 

 ceasing to be the first, are considered as nothing. 

 We have seen the services of the ass slighted be- 

 cause inferior to those of the horse, and in the 

 same manner, those of the goat are held cheap, 

 because the sheep so far exceeds it. Were the 

 horse or the sheep removed from nature, the in- 

 ferior kinds would then be invaluable ; and the 

 same arts would probably be bestowed in per- 



* Gmelin, as quoted by Buffbn. 



