98 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



pursued. A smooth surface of rock, so smooth that a 

 footing there seems impossible, and of nearly perpen- 

 dicular steepness, is no obstacle to their flight. Down 

 they go, now bounding, now gliding, with a velocity 

 which seems to ensure their being inevitably dashed 

 to pieces. 



The chief strength of the animal is in its hind legs, 

 which, if extended, would be longer than the others. 

 On this account it springs upwards with more ease 

 than it descends the mountain, and on level ground 

 its walk is clumsy and ungraceful. It is not made to 

 run, but bounds along over the ground. The hoof is 

 cloven, long and pointed, and the slot of the chamois 

 resembles that of a sheep. The edges are sharp, 

 which causes it to slip easily on the ice, and on this 

 account it rather avoids passing the glaciers. When 

 standing, the hind legs are always bent, as if the 

 animal were preparing to lie down, which no doubt 

 helps considerably to break the fall when leaping 

 from a great height. Notwithstanding this, the croup 

 is still somewhat higher than the fore part of the 

 body. The elastic force which the hind legs possess 

 is immense. With a sudden bound the chamois will 

 leap up against the face of a perpendicular rock, and 

 merely touching it with its hoofs, rebound again in 

 an opposite direction to some higher crag, and thus 

 escape from a spot where, without wings, egress 

 seemed impossible. When reaching upwards on its 

 hind legs, the fore hoofs resting on some higher spot, 

 it is able to stretch to a considerable distance, and 



