"The White Goat and his Country 



goats. Their horns are not deciduous, so far 

 at least as I could learn, and the books say 

 this also. But I read a somewhat inaccurate 

 account of the goat's habits in winter-time. It 

 was stated that at that season, like mountain 

 sheep, he descends and comes into the valleys. 

 This does not seem to be the case. He does 

 not depend upon grass, if indeed he eats grass 

 at all. His food seems to be chiefly the short, 

 almost lichen-like moss that grows on the 

 faces and at the base of the rocks and be- 

 tween them in the crevices. The community 

 of goats I watched was feeding ; afterward, 

 when on the spot where they had been, I 

 found there was no grass growing anywhere 

 near, and signs pointed to its having been the 

 moss and rock plants that they had been eat- 

 ing. None of the people in the Methow 

 country spoke of seeing goats come out of the 

 mountains during winter. I have not sufficient 

 data to make the assertion, but I am inclined 

 to believe that the goat keeps consistently to 

 the hills, whatever the season may be, and in 

 this differs from the mountain sheep as he 

 differs in appearance, temperament, and in all 

 characteristics excepting the predilection for 



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