IBEX. 209 



declared the meat of the bucks was the best for eating, 

 being full of flavour, but the musky smell was too strong 

 for me ; the doe, however, was excellent. On subsequent 

 occasions I revisited the ibex ground and explored the 

 peak, as a rule having good sport, but losing some fine 

 specimens over the precipices. One foggy day the whole 

 hill was traversed without seeing a single ibex, but the 

 cause was evident a tiger had been before me, and his 

 fresh pugs were visible in many places. When quartered 

 at Kurrachee in 1869, ibex were reported to exist in the 

 hills to the north-west of that station, but that it was 

 useless to attempt shikaring there, owing to the jealousy 

 of a Government official, whose myrmidons drove the hills 

 in front of every unfortunate sahib who attempted to shoot 

 on what the great man evidently considered his private 

 preserve. 



These ibex were quite different to the Southern Indian 

 species, being akin to those of the Himalayas, but smaller. 

 They are also considerably smaller than the Neilgherry 

 animal, being only five feet in length and less than eight 

 hands in height. Their horns, however, although similar 

 in shape, are much more imposing, being nearly three feet 

 long and thick in proportion. 



The precipices overhanging the Goodaloor Pass 

 which is the ghaut leading westwards from Ootacamund 

 to Cannanore, and which debouches into the Wynaad, near 

 the village of Goodaloor were in former years much 

 frequented by ibex, as also were the high ranges lying to 

 the south-west, and these were occasionally visited by them 

 in the years 1880-81, but the herds were small and as 

 wild as hawks, owing to the incessant harrying to which 

 they had been subjected, which will certainly lead to tlu'ir 

 absolute extinction if persisted in, unless the Gunu' 



p 



