MAMMALIA. 143 



tal plane. Cores of horns thick, porous, cellular. Horns seated 

 superiorly on the crest of the forehead, and by their union co- 

 vering the top of the head. Canines wanting. Teats 2, rarely 4." 

 Hodgson. 



The males have a strong stench ; they butt first raising them- 

 selves on their hind-legs and then coming down sideways against 

 their enemies. 



Caprese, Gray, Ann. fy Mag. N. H. 1846, 230. 



Capridse et Bovidse, part., Ogilby, P. Z. S. 1836. 



Ovesidese, part., Lesson, Nov. Tab. R. A. 182. 



Hircidaj, J. Brookes, Mus. Cat. 72, 1828. 



Hircus, Rqfin. Anal. Nat. 56, 1815. 



Capra. Blainv. Bull. Soc. Phil. 1816, 76; Sundevall, Pecora,90. 



Bos, part., Wagler, N. Syst. Amp. 32, 1830. 



Mr. Hodgson, in his remarks on the Craniological character 

 of Oms and its allies, observes, " That the great depth or extent 

 of the posteal plane of the skull (comprehending half the frontal 

 and all the parietal bones), and the acute angle it forms with the 

 anteal plane in the genus Ovis, will be found to be characters of 

 more permanence and moment in separating this genus and Capra 

 from the nearest adjacent groups of Ruminants, than most of the 

 diagnostics now employed. I subjoin an outline of the typical 

 Antilopine and Cervine form of skull on one hand, and that of 

 the normal form of Ovis and Capra. Of these forms, Cervus and 

 Ovis represent the extremes, and Antilope and Capra the means ; 

 but there is a regular gradation from Cervus to Antilope, from it 

 to Capra, and from it again to Ovis." J. A. S. B. x. 234. t. 2. 



Mr. Hodgson, in his remarks on the genera Capra and Oms, 

 observes, " The males not being odorous is one of the best cha- 

 racters to separate the Sheep from the male Goats, which are 

 always odorous." J. A. S. B. iv. 491, 1835 ; x. 234, 1841. 



The horns of some domestic varieties have an inclination to 

 twist more or less spirally, like some varieties of Sheep and Strep- 

 siceres. 



The keel of the horns of the Sheep, and especially of the 

 Goats, is on the inner part of the front edge of the horns ; but in 

 the Marbur or Snake-eater of Afghanistan the strongest keel 

 which forms the spiral ridge arises from the hinder part of the 

 inner side of the horns, the front one being obscure. 



The hybrid produce of the Sheep and Goat are fertile, black- 

 faced, and differ little in form from the black-faced Sheep, The 

 intercourse is stated to be common. $uirhead, Statistical Ace. 

 Parish of Urr. xi. 66; Fleming, Phil. Zool. ii. 198; see also 

 Cuvier, R. A. i. 267. 



