4 2 SO UTH- WESTERN ASIA 



which inhabits the Sinaitic Peninsula, Arabia Petraea, and Palestine, and is repre- 

 sented by another variety (C. nubiana mengesi) in south Arabia, the typical 

 (C. nubiana) being an inhabitant of Egypt and the districts as far south as the 

 tropic of Capricorn. The Arabian race is of special interest as indicating a transi- 

 tion from the more typical ibex towards the wild goat. The Persian race of the 

 latter (G. hircus cegagrus) is found from the Caucasus and the mountains of 

 Asia Minor to Persia and Baluchistan, passing in the last-named country 

 into the Sind race (G. hircus blythi). In former times other races of the wild 

 goat inhabited all the islands of the Greek Archipelago, but at the present day they 

 survive only in Crete, Antimilo, and perhaps Gyaros, in a truly wild form. In Sind 

 and Baluchistan wild goats range from the sea-level upwards, and in Persia inhabit 

 the mountains to a height of 12,000 feet. Horns of the Persian wild goat are known 

 which exceed 55 inches in length. They are scimitar-shaped and sharply keeled 

 in front, but rounded behind, the front keel bearing a number of irregular bosses 

 or knobs, unlike the regular transverse knots of the horns of the true ibex. 

 Although sometimes widely separate, they are generally more or less close together. 

 The does carry much smaller horns, which are quite smooth and bent backwards, 

 slightly compressed, oval in section, and farther apart at the base than those of the 

 bucks. The old bucks are furnished with a flowing beard, and in winter grow long 

 hair on the neck and shoulders. In winter the general colour of the pasang is 

 brownish grey, in summer yellowish, or reddish brown, the under-parts of the 

 body and the inner sides of the thighs being whitish or white, but there is 

 considerable variation in this respect according to age. In contrast to the general 

 tint the black of the face, shoulders, and legs stands out very conspicuously. 

 Domesticated Many domesticated breeds of goat, as for instance the Caucasian, 



Goats. still retain a strong resemblance to the wild goat, although others are 

 distinguished by the form of their horns and other characters. Some breeds, for 

 instance, approach the markhor in their corkscrew-shaped horns, although the 

 horns of nearly all domesticated goats are twisted in a direction opposite to those 

 of the markhor. Many domesticated goats are, however, hornless, while in others an 

 additional pair is developed. Besides the differences in the size and shape of their 

 bodies, there are variations in the length of their hair. The hair of many domesti- 

 cated goats hangs almost down to the ground, while that of others is very short and 

 of all colours between white and brownish black. The hair of the Egyptian goat is 

 short, generally brownish, but yellow on the legs, and often piebald, with light 

 round spots on a dark ground. This goat, like the Hausa sheep, is distinguished 

 by the strongly arched profile, as well as by the throat-lappets and drooping ears 

 the horns being either absent or very small, while in most cases there is no beard. 

 The Sudan goat, again, is characterised by its short horns of 3 or 4 inches in length, 

 which are bent at first backwards and outwards while their tips point forwards, 

 as well as by the long black beard which reaches down to the chest and spreads 

 over the shoulders and the upper part of the fore-legs. Among the long-haired 

 breeds, the Angora goat, indigenous to Asia Minor, but introduced into different 

 I- 1 its of Europe and South Africa, is distinguished by its large size, great hang- 

 ing ears, long compressed spiral horns, and long, wavy silky hair. Another long- 

 haired breed is the Tibetan shawl-goat, which is of rather small size with a short 



