THE WILD GOAT, &c. 381 



been produced by the influence of climate. Ca- 

 prae in mult as fimihtu dines transjtgurantur, fays 

 Pliny *. Indeed, from this enumeration, it is 

 apparent, that the goats, though effentially fi- 

 milar among themfelves, vary greatly in their 

 external form ; and, if we comprehend, like 

 Pliny, under the generic name of Goats^ not 

 only thofe we have mentioned, but likewife the 

 roebuck, the antilopes, &c. this fpecies would 

 be the moft extenlive in Nature, and contain 

 more races and varieties than that of the dog. 

 But Pliny, when he joined the roebuck, anti- 

 lopes, &c. to the fpecies of the goat, betrayed 

 his ignorance of the real diltinc~tion of fpecies. 

 Thefe animals, though they refemble the goat 

 in many refpecls, conltitute two different fpe- 

 cies ; and we will perceive from the following 

 articles, how greatly the antilopes vary both in 

 fpecies and in races ; and, after enumerating all 

 the antilopes and all the goats, we will (till 

 find other animals which participate of both. 

 In the whole hiftory of quadrupeds, I have met 

 with nothing fo confufed, fo uncertain, and fo 

 obfeure, as the accounts given us by naturalifts 

 and travellers concerning the goats, the anti- 

 lopes, and the fpecies which have a relation to 

 them. I have exerted every effort to throw 



light 



* Caprae iamen in plurimas fimilitudines transfigurantur ; 

 font capreae, funt rupicaprae, flint ibices. — Sunt et origes. — 

 Sunt et Damae et Pygargi et Strepficerotes, multaque alia 

 baud difllmilia; lib. 8. cap. 53. 



