THE CHAMOIS. 93 



towards the spot whence the sound proceeded. In this 

 way they may be attracted from a considerable distance. 

 If too they see some object that they cannot well make 

 out, their curiosity will drive them to the spot to see 

 what it can be.* The period of gestation in the doe is 

 twenty weeks. In May her young kid may be seen be- 

 side her, playing in the prettiest manner, leaping into the 

 sunny air and rolling on its back upon the soft herbage. 

 With a bound it will turn heels over head ; not however 

 forwards or backwards, but sideways ; a proof of the 

 wonderful strength and elasticity of its limbs even at 

 this young stage of its existence. 



There is something very amusing in the wiseacre look 

 of such a little kid. Its bright eye twinkles like a star ; 

 its silly little face is full of drollery ; and, pricking up 



* Two striking instances of this were told me by the late Prince 

 Leiningen, as good and thorough a sportsman as might anywhere be 

 found ; one too who knew the habits of game, and had watched and 

 studied them for years. 



He was out stalking in the Vorder Eiss late in the season ; there he 

 saw, at a good distance, a capital chamois buck. He pointed him out 

 to the forester that accompanied him, who said, " We'll soon have him 

 nearer!" and taking off his cap, stooped down just behind the ridge, 

 so as to have nothing visible on the sky-line but his bald crown. This 

 he kept on bobbing up and down, then turning his head on this side 

 and on that, till at last the chamois could not help remarking it. After 

 looking at the unusual object for a time, he set off to see what it was, 

 and came within range of the Prince's rifle, but by chance stopped to 

 gaze just behind a projecting stone, so that it was not possible to fire. 

 After standing there for some time quite near, he scampered off. 



On another similar occasion the Prince merely turned back the cuff of 

 his coat so as to display the white wristband of the shirt ; and putting 

 it up just above a bank behind which he lay concealed, moved it up and 

 down and sideways, as though it were a thing with life. The buck at 

 last perceived the white something that was in motion, and came leap- 

 ing along to examine into the matter. While he looked, a bullet striking 

 him, solved the mystery. 



