ITS ENEMIES. I I 5 



times not so difficult to stalk as the sambur ; with the wind 

 favourable, they can usually be easily approached from above ; 

 their conduct also when suddenly alarmed by the crack of a 

 rifle is curious ; instead of a steady or direct flight as when 

 they see or smell their enemy, they start about from rock 

 to rock in a bewildered manner, at times squatting like 

 hares, then springing up with a shrill whistle, hesitating 

 for a moment which line to take, all the time affording 

 opportunities for the sportsman to pick and choose his 

 shots." 



" Besides their enemy man, they have a very wily poacher 

 to guard against, viz., the leopard ; wherever ibex are found, 

 there assuredly will the marks of this their stealthy foe be 

 detected. From the very strong scent emitted by the ibex, 

 especially the males, the leopard has no difficulty in finding 

 its prey, and I believe many fall victims to its rapacious 

 maw. 



" To my mind the pursuit of the ibex is more exciting 

 if possible, than that of the stag. The peril that attends the 

 adventurer on the crags and fearful precipices, where the 

 quarry resort, the grand and sublime scenery, the giddy 

 heights and sombre depths, the danger and difficulty of the 

 stalk, all combine in adding to the charms and attractions 

 of the pursuit, and make a man feel proud of his success 

 when he has brought to bag a fine old saddle back." 



The ibex generally go in herds from six to ten, but at 

 times they are found in much greater numbers. On the 

 20th April, 1854, when creeping over the crest of a hill in 

 Michael's Valley, on the Annamullies, I found myself 

 suddenly in the midst of at least sixty, and at another time 

 I came upon a herd of twenty-seven. Both these herds 



