THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT 13 



the alpine plants, dwarfed willows, and shrubby 

 growths of mountain slopes and summits. They 

 may also eat grass freely. 



Bighorn sheep also live above the timber- 

 line. In some localities they and the goat are 

 found together. But sheep make occasional low- 

 land excursions, while goats stay close to the 

 skyline crags and the eternal snows, descending 

 less frequently below the timberline except in 

 crossing to an adjoining ridge or peak. Among 

 the other mountain-top neighbours of the goat 

 are ground squirrels, conies, weasels, foxes, griz- 

 zly bears, lions, ptarmigan, finches, and eagles; 

 but not all of these would be found together, 

 except in a few localities. 



The goat, in common with all the big, wide- 

 awake animals that I know of, has a large bump 

 of curiosity. Things that are unusual absorb 

 his attention until he can make their acquain- 

 tance. A number of times after goats had re- 

 treated from my approach, and a few times be- 

 fore they had thought to move on, I discovered 

 them watching me, peeping round the corner 

 of a crag or over a boulder. While thus intent 

 they did not appear to be animals with a place 

 in natural history. 



In crossing a stretch of icy slope on what is 

 now called Fusillade Mountain, in Glacier 

 National Park, I sat down on the smooth steep 



