SHEEP AND GOAT KIND. 2?5 



and Germany. They are peaceful gentle crea- 

 tures, and live in society with each other. They 

 are found in flocks of from four to fourscore, and 

 even a hundred, dispersed upon the crags of the 

 mountains. The large males are seen feeding de- 

 tached from the rest, except in rutting time, when 

 they approach the females, and drive away the 

 young. The time of their coupling is from the 

 latter end of September to the end of November, 

 and they bring forth in February, March, and 

 April. The young keeps with the dam for about 

 five months, and sometimes longer, if the hunters 

 and the wolves do not separate them. It is as- 

 serted that they live between twenty and thirty 

 years. Their flesh is good to eat. ; and they are 

 foun.d to have ten or twelve pounds of suet, which 

 far surpasses that of the goat in hardness and 

 goodness. The chamois has scarcely any cry, as 

 most animals are known to have ; if it has any, 

 it is a kind of feeble bleat, by which the parent 

 calls its young. But in cases of danger, and 

 when it is to warn the rest of the flock, it uses a 

 hissing noise, which is heard at a great distance. 

 For it is to be observed, that this creature is ex- 

 tremely vigilant, and has an eye the quickest and 

 most piercing in nature. Its smell also is not less 

 distinguishing. When it sees its enemy distinctly, 

 it stops for a moment, and then, if the person be 

 near, in an instant after it flies off. In the same 

 manner, by its smell, it can discover a man at 

 half a league distance, and gives the earliest no- 

 tice. Upon any alarm, therefore, or any appre- 

 hensions of danger, the chamois begins his hissing 



