458 MR. C. Ge DANFORD ON THE [June I, 
11. Notes on the Wild Goat, Capra egagrus, Gm. 
By C. G. Danrorp, F.Z.8. 
[Received May 29, 1875.] 
During a recent visit to Asia Minor, made principally with the view 
of studying the ornithology of that country, an opportunity was 
afforded of observing the habits of the Wild Goat (Capra egagrus), 
some specimens of which are now submitted for the inspection of 
members of the Society. The following remarks pretend to convey 
but little, if any, new information on the subject, and are merely 
intended as a slight contribution to the history of the animal and as 
a corroboration of the statements of some authors respecting it. 
The range of the Capra egagrus seems to be, with the exception 
of the northern side of the Caucasus, entirely confined to Western 
Asia and certain islands of the AZgean. There is no authenticated 
instance of its having been found in other parts of Europe; for, 
although many authors have asserted that it existed in the alpine 
regions of Switzerland and Greece, and though Goats from these 
localities have even been figured as C. egagrus by Cuvier and Schinz, 
yet all these reports and instances may be referred to hybrids between 
the Ibex (C. tbexv) and the tame Goat, or to tame animals which 
have in certain localities become semi-wild and have more or less 
reverted to the appearance of the supposed original stock. Early 
writers generally assign Persia as its habitat, particularly the pro- 
vinces of Lar and Khorasan. Dr. Brandt mentions (Tchihatchef, 
‘Asie Mineure,’ p. 684) that it was found by Méneétriés on the 
northern.side of the Caucasus, was reported rare in the mountains of 
Ahalzik by Mr. Norman, and that many specimens were sent from 
the neighbourhood of Tiflis by Mr. Hohenacker. 
Pallas (Spic. Zool. fase. xi. p. 43) extends its range to the 
Kirghiz steppes—an extension, however, which seems to want further 
proof. Mr. Low says (Breeds of Domest. Animals, The Goat, 
p- 3) “the Aigagrus inhabits Western Asia, from the Caucasus 
eastward by the countries of the Caspian to an unknown distance, 
and southward through the highlands of Persia and Cabul to Hin- 
dostan.”’ 
Tchihatchef, in his fine work on Asia Minor, writes:—‘ This 
animal is not very rare in the mountains of Cilicia which border the 
plain of Tchukurova, and in the mountains of Marach; but their 
favourite regions are the mountains of Aladagh, Boulgardagh, and 
Hassandagh.”” At the Bereketli Maden (mines), in the first-men- 
tioned of these ranges of the Taurus, M. Tchihatchef collected in 
1848 a series of skulls and horns, which he presented to the Imperial 
Museum at St. Petersburg. According to Herr Kotschy, who 
has given a very interesting account of this species (Verhandl. d. 
zool.-bot. Ver. in Wien, 1854, p. 201, and Reise in d. cilicischen 
Taurus, p. 249), it is found in all Asia Minor, Kurdistan, Armenia, 
