CAPBA. 505 



Its habits have been well described by Adams, Kinloch, and others. 

 Owing to the protection afforded by its thick uiidert'ur, it is but 

 little affected by cold, and " even during the winter ibex do not as 

 a rule descend very low, but I'esort to places where, from the 

 steepness of the hill-side, snow does not lie in any quantity. At 

 this season males and females herd together, but as the snow melts 

 and the time (May and June) for the birth of the youug approaches, 

 the old males forsake the females altogether, and, as the summer 

 advances, retire to the most inaccessible mountains, frequently 

 sleeping during the day above the limits of vegetation, and de- 

 scending great distances to feed in the morning and evenings."' 

 (Kinloch). The males descend about October and mix with tlie 

 herds, the ruttiug-season being in winter. 



Kinloch also says : — " Although an excessively wary animal, the 

 ibex is usually found on such broken ground that it is not verv difficult 

 to obtain a shot. The grand rule, as in all other hill-stalking, is to 

 keep well above the herd, whose vigilance is chiefly directed beneath 

 thiim. In places where they have been much disturbed, one or two 

 of the herd usually keep a sharp looli out while the others are 

 feeding, and on the slightest suspicion of danger the sentries utter 

 a loud whistle, which is a signal for a general rush to the nearest 

 rocks." 



The female has one or two young. Many of these animals are 

 killed for the sake of obtaining the soft woolly imderfur, which is 

 woven into cloth, and used for lining articles of dress. 



349. Capra falconeri. The May^lhor. 



yEgoceros (Capra) falconeri, Hur/el, Wagner, Miinch. gel. Anz. ix, 



p. 430 (1839J. 

 Capra megaceros, Hutton, Calc. Jour. N. JI. ii, p. 63."j, pi. xx (1842) ; 



id. J. A.S.B. XV, p. 161 ; Blyth, Cat. p. 176 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 291. 

 Capra falconeri, Iliirjcl, Kaschniir, iv, p. 579, pi. ; Blanford, J. A. 8. B. 



xUv. pt. 2, p. 1/ ; 'Scully, P. Z. jS. 1881, p. 209 ; Sclater, P. Z. S. 



1886, p. 317 ; JV. Sclater, Cat. p. 145. 

 Hircus megaceros, Adams, P. Z. 8. 1858, p. 525. 

 Capra jerdoni, Hume, P. A. S. B. 1874, p. 240. 



Mdrkhor (snake-eater), Afghanistan, Punjab, and S.Kashmir; Bdche 

 {Rdpho-che S , Bdu-a-c/ie 2), Ladak ; Bezkuh, Mutt, J, Hit, Haraf $, 

 13rahui ; Pachin, Sard, (^ , Buzkn/ii §, Baliich. 



Beard in old males long and copious, extending from the chin 

 down to the breast ; in females and youug males short, confined 

 to the chin. Little or no underfur. Horns of males compressed, 

 close together at the base, spirally wound, sharply augulate in 

 young animals both in front and behind, more rounded in front at 

 the base in old animals ; the anterior keel turns outwards at first 

 in each horn. In some the horns form an open spiral like that of 

 a corkscrew, in others each horn is straight and conical, with the 

 two keels winding round it, like the worm of a screw. Horns of 

 females short, compressed, spiral. 



