THE HIMALAYAN IBEX. 109 



wliicli the animal had risen, and, after perforating the 

 ^lound lie was resting on, had in all probability entered 

 his stomach. This perhaps accounted for his starting off 

 in such a hurry, and separating himself from the herd, 

 such being very unusual with ibex that have not been 

 much disturbed, if unwounded. I had misjudged the dis- 

 tance, owing to my having, at that time, but a vague idea 

 of the size of a full-grown buck ibex. Such a misfortune 

 ;is this would not, however, be likely to occur with the flat 

 t rajectory rifles of the present day. 



The full-grown buck ibex of the Himalayas {Capra 

 sibirica), or khel, as it is called in the mountains of Cash- 

 mere, and more eastward on the Himalayas " skin," stands 

 about 3 feet 6 inches at the shoulder, and is very stoutly 

 built. Its general appearance, haunts, and habits are much 

 the same as those of the Alpine " bouquetin," or " steinbok," 

 but it attains a much larger size of both body and horn. 

 The colour of the ibex is not easily described, as, like that 

 of most wild animals, it alters considerably at different 

 seasons of the year, and some bucks are very much darker 

 than others. In the spring it is a very dirty white, shaded 

 off on the shoulders and flanks into a brownish grey, which 

 merges into brown on the legs. A brown line runs along 

 the back, ending in a very dark-brown short tail. The 

 head and neck are reddish brown, and a nearly black beard, 

 about 6 inches long, depends from the chin. Late in the 

 season the dirty white becomes more decidedly brown. 

 Under the rough outer coat grows a soft kind of down 

 known as " pushum," which, like that of the domestic goat 

 of these mountains, is used in the manufacture of the finest 

 of Cashmere fabrics called "pushmeena," of which the 

 shawls are made. 



The general appearance of the magnificent curved and 

 knotted horns of the ibex are well known. But they are 

 often misrepresented in drawings of the animal as sweep- 

 ing high over the back, instead of merely curving over the 



