THE COMMON GOAT. 



Feet of the goat adapted for climbing precipices. 



iieuce hanging over the sea, and sleeping in per- 

 fect security. One would hardly suppose, as 

 Mr Ray observes, that the feet of this animal 

 were adapted to such perilous achievements, but 

 npon a closer inspection, we discover that natur6 

 has provided them with hoofs, which, being hol- 

 low underneath, with sharp edges, enable the 

 creature to walk as securely on the ridge of a 

 house as on level ground. 



These animals from extreme familiarity, have 

 sometimes become extremely troublesome. The 

 Comte de Buffon relates, that in the year 1698, 

 an English vessel having put into harbour at the 

 island of Bonavista, two negroes went on board, 

 and offered the captain as many goats as he chose 

 to carry away. He expressed his surprise at this 

 offer; when the negroes informed him there were 

 only twelve persons on the island, and that the 

 goats multiplied so fast as to become exceedingly 

 troublesome; for, instead of being difficult U 

 catch, they followed them about with an unplea- 

 sant degree of obstinacy, like other domestic 

 animals. 



M. Sonnini, in his edition of Buffon's Natural 

 History, relates a curious instance of the readi- 

 ness with which the goat will permit itself to be 

 sucked by animals of a different kind and even 

 of a much larger size than itself. He asserts 

 that he saw, in the year 1 780, a foal that had 

 lost its mother thus nourished by a goat, which 

 was placet! on a barrel, in order that the young 



