262 



UNGULATES. 



the summer the coat is lighter coloured, having in spring a more or less marked 

 grey hue. The erect ears are sharply pointed ; and the horns, except at their tips, 

 are marked both by slight transverse rings and by longitudinal striae. Fair-sized 

 horns are about 7 inches in length, but some specimens measure as much as 9 

 inches, or rather more, while a few reach 10£ inches. The weight of a buck 

 chamois may vary from 50 to 70 lbs. Light-coloured, or even white varieties, are 



THE CHAMOIS (■/■. nat. size). 



occasionally met with. The face has a small gland below the eye, and there 

 is a corresponding shallow depression in the skull for its reception ; while the 

 muzzle is completely covered with hair. The hoofs have their outer edges higher 

 than the central portion, and are thus adapted for securing a firm foothold on 

 rocks. 



The chamois has a wide distribution in the mountains of Europe, 

 occurring in the Pyrenees (where it is known as the izard), the 

 mountains of the coast of Spain, in Dalmatia and Greece, in the Carpathians, the 



Distribution. 



