230 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



The most important wild animal from which the domesticated 

 Goat of Europe has taken origin is probably the Grecian Ibex 

 or Bezoar Goat (Capra <zgagrus\ which at the present time ranges 

 from Crete to North-west India. But there is very likely an 

 admixture of one or more other strains. 



So far as civilized nations are concerned, the most important 

 products obtained from the Goat are kid-skin, for glove-making, 

 and " mohair ", which is the long silky over-hair of certain Asiatic 

 breeds. The chief source of the latter is the well-known Angora 

 Goat, native to Asia Minor, and distinguished by the beauty of 

 its long white silky coat (fig. 1165). The Kashmir Goat, which 

 also ranges into Tibet and the Asiatic steppes, possesses an 

 undercoat of fine soft wool, and it is this which is made into the 

 familiar Kashmir shawls. Large herds of the steppe variety are 

 among the most valuable property of the nomad tribes, not only 

 on account of their skins and wool, but also as a source of meat, 

 milk, butter, and cheese. 



THE CAMEL (CAMELUS). Being eminently adapted to desert 

 conditions the Camel has been a most valuable domestic animal 

 in Asia and Africa from very remote times. There are two 

 species, the one-humped Arabian Camel (Camelus dromedarius], 

 which is the familiar kind introduced by the Arabs into Africa, 

 and the two-humped Bactrian Camel (6". Bactrianus, fig. 1166) 

 of Central Asia. It is doubtful whether either species exists in 

 the wild condition. Both are represented on the Assyrian 

 monuments. The most important use of Camels is to serve as 

 beasts of burden, a large animal being able to carry 1000 

 pounds weight or more for a distance of 30 to 35 miles a day. 

 Several breeds exist, and a distinction may be drawn between 

 baggage-camels and racing-camels or dromedaries. The latter 

 are capable of maintaining a pace of from 8 to 10 miles an 

 hour for a considerable part of the day. There are also various 

 crosses between Arabian and Bactrian camels. 



Camels are most valuable as beasts of burden, both in peace 

 and war, but they are also an important source of meat and milk, 

 while the thick wool of the Bactrian species is greatly esteemed 

 for textile purposes. The Arabian Camel is by no means limited 

 to Africa and Arabia, for it ranges also from Syria to North-west 

 India, and has been introduced into Italy, Spain, the Canary Islands, 

 North America, and Australia. It is probably of Indian stock. 



