CHAPTER XVI. 



BRIEF NOTES ON THE WILD GOATS OF 

 CASHMERE AND LADAK 



THE HIMALAYAN IBEX (Capra Sibirica) 



THIS splendid wild goat is found throughout 

 the higher ranges of the Himalayas, except 

 upon the extreme southern slopes, and portions 

 south and east of the Sutlej river, where it does 

 not occur at all ; and numbers of sportsmen ga 

 annually to Cashmere with the object of securing 

 specimens of this and of other Himalayan game. 

 General Kinloch gives his height as about ten 

 hands, and describes his colour as a dark chocolate, 

 varied by patches of dirty white. He has a long, 

 flowing, shaggy black beard. Both sexes have 

 horns, those of the female being very small only 

 about a foot in length while the male's are long, 

 thick, scimitar-shaped, and heavily knotted, forming 

 most imposing and ornamental trophies. Though 

 horns up to some 56 inches have been bagged 

 (Rowland Ward quoting thirteen heads of 50 inches 

 and more), the sportsman who nowadays is lucky 

 enough to secure a head of 46 or 47 inches may 



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