THE CHAMOIS, 



159 



Its hind legs are longer than its fore legs, and therefore 

 it ascends the rocky cliffs more easily and quickly than it 

 descends them. Few sights are more graceful than that 

 of a chamois leaping with natural ease and almost incred- 

 ible swiftness from crag to crag, and thus mounting to 

 heights which it makes the observer almost dizzy to look at. 



It feeds upon the mountain-herbage, and on the aro- 

 matic buds of the resinous trees, such as the juniper, the 

 pine, and the fir. To this pungent diet its flesh ow^es its 

 strong and peculiar flavour, which is hardly acceptable to 

 any palate that cannot relish venison in its "highest" 

 condition. Its skin is much used in the manufacture of 

 the well-known chamois leather, which has gained a high 

 reputation for combined softness and tenacity. 



Of both the ibex and the chamois it may be remarked 

 that they live at a greater elevation above the sea-leveJ 

 than any of their congeners, and, consequently, almost 



