Mountain Goat 



the explanation of the whole matter. "As soon as the antelope 

 sees some strange or thrilling object this muscle acts and the 

 rump patch is changed in a flash to a great double disk or twin 

 chrysanthemum of white that shines afar like a patch of snow, 

 but in the middle of each bloom a dark brown spot, the musk 

 gland is exposed and a great quantity of the odor is set free 

 and the message is read by all those who have noses to read. 

 Of all animals man has the poorest nose, he has virtually lost 

 the sense of smell, while among the next animals in the scale 

 scent is their best faculty. Yet even man can distinguish the 

 danger scent for many yards down the wind and there is no 

 reason to doubt that antelope can detect it a mile away. Thus 

 the observations on the captive animals living under normal con- 

 ditions proved the key to those made on the plains and I know 

 now that the changing flashes in the Yellowstone upland were 

 made by the antelopes' heliograph, while the two bands signalled 

 each other; and the smaller band on getting the musky message 

 ' Friend ' laid aside all precaution and fearlessly joined their rela- 

 tives." 



THE CATTLE 



Family Bovidce 



To this family belong all the domestic cattle and their allies 

 the bisons and buffaloes, wild sheep and goats as well as the 

 great host of antelopes found in Africa and Asia. Our American 

 representatives are few in number, comprising only the mountain 

 goat, mountain sheep, musk ox and buffalo. 



Mountain Goat 



Oreamnos wwntanus (Ord) 



Called also White Goat. 



Length. 4 feet. Height at shoulder, 3 feet. 

 Description. Body covered with long hanging white hair and 

 a short woolly under-fur, entirely yellowish white. Shoulders 



57 



