228 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



fur ably protects this animal, especially when it is snugly ensconced 

 near stones. Whilst both sexes may be observed together all 

 through the year, during the Summer they are usually separated, 

 and at this latter season they frequent high altitudes, ascending to 

 as much as fourteen to sixteen thousand feet above sea level, and 

 rarely, it is said, being found at any time at a lower elevation than 

 ten thousand feet. 



HIMALAYAN GORAL. This animal (Fig 181) is a further interest- 

 ing beast because it claims kinship with "an assemblage of 

 Mountain-haunting Ruminants which to a great, extent connect the 

 Goats with the Antelopes." It is distinctly Goat-like in more ways 

 than one, and there are three or four kinds, such as the Himalayan 

 Goral, the Ashy Goral, the Grey Goral, the Long-Tailed Goral, and 

 a further addition has recently been made of another form which 

 appears to be distinct from the Grey Goral, and known by the 

 Latin name of Nemorhcedus bedfordianus. 



The Goral has small cylindrical horns; a short tail (excepting 

 the Long-Tailed species found in Formosa) (Fig. 183); Goat-like 

 teeth, and does not possess a beard. It stands a little over two feet 

 high at the shoulder, has coarse brown hair with a patch of white on 

 the throat, a black tail and a naked muzzle. The hair is raised along 

 the back part of the neck and forms a sort of crest. 



It does not frequent the high altitudes mentioned in the case of 

 the Bharal, selecting rocky forests or grassy slopes not more than 

 eight thousand feet in height. It is not of a very gregarious dis- 

 position, for old bucks are, as a rule, found singly, but usually a 

 male and female may be located, or even a few individuals number- 

 ing from four to eight. 



The state of the weather controls the feeding habits of this 

 species, for when the atmosphere is dull and overcast the Goral 

 feeds during the day, but at other times partakes of its meals in 

 the morning and evening, resting among rocks in the daytime. It 

 sticks to the same feeding-ground, and although wary enough when 

 real danger threatens, it does not exhibit much fear for mankind, 

 and when one remembers that there is more preferable game not far 

 away, such as the Chamois, the sportsman need not trouble this 

 animal to any great extent. 



TAKE. The Tahr (Fig. 182) is a Himalayan Goat which is 

 characterized by the absence of a beard, and has the end of the 

 muzzle naked. The skull is longer and not so broad as in the case 



