The White Goat 259 



And this is only the popular side of it; the 

 scholars have been just as mixed as Yancey. 

 The scientific side of the story is picturesquely 

 seen through the dynasty of Latin names succes- 

 sively lavished upon the goat. 



The country at large first heard of the goat in 

 1806, when Thomas Jefferson accompanied his 

 message to Congress about Lewis and Clark's 

 exploration with various documents, and among 

 these the observations of William Dunbar and 

 Dr. Hunter. Nine years later the eminent 

 George Ord gave to the animal his first aca- 

 demic baptism, and he appeared as Ovis mon- 

 tana. Pretty soon M. de Blainville seems to 

 have called him Antilope americana, and Rupi- 

 capra americana. By 1817 he was known as 

 Mazama Sericea which is wandering pretty 

 wide of the family. Four years more, and he is 

 plain Rocky Mountain sheep. Next follow Capra 

 montana^ Antilope lanigera, Capra Americana, 

 and Haplocerus montanus. This last was begin- 

 ning to look permanent, when it was discovered 

 that somebody had for some time been styling 

 the goat by a well-devised appellation, to wit, 

 Oreamnus montanus. He goes by that now; 

 and it may be doubted if any thief has more 



