NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Acuteness of smell and hearing. 



their constitution. When they feed upon suc- 

 culent herbage they drink but sparingly, and ru- 

 minate, at intervals, like the common goat. 



Their sight is very penetrating, and their 

 senses of smelling and hearing so remarkably 

 acute, that when the wind blows in a proper dir 

 rection they can discover a man .at a distance of 

 a mile or upwards. Each herd is said to have a 

 leader, who generally takes his station on some 

 commanding spot, while his companions are 

 feeding, and faithfully performs the duty of a 

 centinel. On hearing or smelling any thing ap- 

 proach, he gives the alarm by a kind of whistle, 

 which he continues as long as he can blow with- 

 out taking breath: it is at first sharp, but flattens 

 towards the conclusion. He then stops for a 

 moment, looks, round on all sides, and begins 

 whistling afresh, which he continues from time 

 to time. This is done with such force, that the 

 rocks and forests reverberate the sound. His 

 agitation is also extreme. He strikes the earth 

 with his feet ; ascends the highest stones he can 

 find; again looks round with extreme anxiety; 

 and leaps impatiently from one eminence to ano- 

 ther, till the confirmation of his fears induces him 

 to elude pursuit by an exertion of his natural 

 speed. The whistling used on these occasions is 

 purely nasal, and consists of a strong blowing, 

 similar to the sound which a man may make by 

 fixing his tongue to the palate, with his teetl^ 

 nearly shut, his lips open and somewhat extended, 







