608 THE MUSK-DEER. 



and eve that they venture forth on their hazardous enterprise. The 

 chamois wander in small troops. Their voice is a kind of low bleat- 

 ing ; but when one of them descries approaching danger, he imme- 

 diately raises a sharp cry, which is the signal of flight. Driven 

 together and closely packed, the poor animals stand at bay, and 

 dash themselves upon the daring hunter with an impetuosity which 

 often proves fatal to him. 



The Musk-Deer form a distinct family in the order Ruminant iu. 

 In their external conformation they resemble both the stag and the 

 antelope, but they have neither horns nor antlers ; their stomach is 

 deficient in the part named the feuillet, which exists in all the other 

 Ruminantia ; finally, their upper jaw is provided with two long 

 canines, which among the males project from the mouth, and which 

 serve at one and the same time as defensive arms and as instruments 

 to dig out of the soil the roots upon which these animals feed. All 

 the species of- this genus are Asiatic, except one, which is a native of 

 Guinea. I can only particularize here the Musk-Deer of Thibet and 

 Nepaul, which furnishes commerce with the curious product, so useful 

 in medicine and perfumery, known as mush This product is an 

 extremely odorous and unctuous substance, contained in a special 

 organ situated under the belly of the male. The high price which it 

 commands would make the chase of the musk-deer very profitable, 

 were not these animals so rare and so difficult to get at. They lead 

 a solitary life among the scarped rocks and in the thorny bushes 

 bordering on the glaciers. In winter they descend towards more 

 temperate localities. They are caught either in snares or with 

 nooses, or slain with arrows. The Tongnsian hunters, to attract the 

 musk-deer, imitate the cry of their young by applying the mouth to 

 a fragment of bark. The chase is only pursued in winter and 

 autumn. In Thibet the hunters require a special license from the 

 government. 



We may pass over the species of Rodents which burrow among 

 the mountains, with a word of allusion to the traditional companion 

 of the poor wandering Savoyard, the Alpine Marmot. This gentle 



