Mountain Goat 
the explanation of the whole matter. ‘‘As soon as the antelope 
sees some strange or thrilling object this muscle acts and the 
rump patch is changed in a flash to a great double disk or twin 
chrysanthemum of white that shines afar like a patch of snow, 
but in the middle of each bloom a dark brown spot, the musk 
gland is exposed and a great quantity of the odor is set free 
and the message is read by all those who have noses to read. 
Of all animals man has the poorest nose, he has virtually lost 
the sense of smell, while among the next animals in the scale 
scent is their best faculty. Yet even man can distinguish the 
danger scent for many yards down the wind and there is no 
reason to doubt that antelope can detect it a mile away. Thus 
the observations on the captive animals living under normal con- 
ditions proved the key to those made on the plains and I know 
now that the changing flashes in the Yellowstone upland were 
made by the antelopes’ heliograph, while the two bands signalled 
each other; and the smaller band on getting the musky message 
‘Friend’ laid aside all precaution and fearlessly joined their rela- 
tives.” 
THE, CAT TLE 
Family Bovide 
To this family belong all the domestic cattle and their allies 
the bisons and buffaloes, wild sheep and goats as well as the 
great host of antelopes found in Africa and Asia. Our American 
representatives are few in number, comprising only the mountain 
goat, mountain sheep, musk ox and buffalo. 
Mountain Goat 
Oveamnos montanus (Ord) 
Called also White Goat. 
Length. 4 feet. Height at shoulder, 3 feet. 
Description. Body covered with long hanging white hair and 
a short woolly under-fur, entirely yellowish, white. Shoulders 
37 
