THE SPANISH IBEX. 969 



the band of the flank with the black of the leg, thus dividing the 

 white of the inner side of the thigh from the general brown 

 colour. 



The Groat of Central Spain represents a stage intermediate 

 between typical pyrenaica and p. hispanica by the spreading of 

 the black areas, this colour invading the lower half of the shoulders 

 and covering the whole outer side of the thighs, but not reaching 

 the withers nor the haunches. The dorsal stripe, as in hispanica, 

 is of practically the same width from neck to tail. 



Text-fig. 195 clearly shows the gradual decrease in the amount 

 of black as the species approaches the Mediterranean coast. The 

 variation is to some extent parallel to that indicated by Lydekker * 

 for the subspecies of Capra sibirica, but in the case of the Spanish 

 Ibex it cannot be attributed to differences in elevation nor to 

 the presence or absence of snow in the localities frequented by 

 each race. I think it interesting to note that young males of 

 C. pyrenaica pyrenaica, when two years old, closely resemble, 

 in the black markings, adult males of the Central subspecies, 

 the young of the latter being in turn similar to the adult 

 G. p. hispanica. 



As to the colour of the upper surface of the body, in winter 

 pelage the three subspecies are much alike, the general tint 

 being pale brownish grey in C. pyrenaica pyrenaica, dirty 

 buflf, more or less clouded with black towards the lower part 

 of the flanks, in the Jbex of Central Spain, and a paler and less 

 blackened buff in C. p. hispanica. The under side of the neck 

 is black or dark brown in the Pyrenean and Central races, and 

 slightly clouded with black in the Mediterranean form. I have 

 never seen a specimen of true pyrenaica in summer pelage, 

 but Trouessart describes its colour during that season as " gris 

 brun fonce." In both the two other subspecies it is pale brown, 

 washed with white on the flanks. There is, however, a difference 

 of tint between them, the Central Ibex being browner and the 

 Mediterranean one redder. The colour of the Ibexes of Credos 

 is near the broccoli-brown of Ridgway, whei-eas in C. p. hispanica 

 it is a tint intermediate between fawn and cinnamon. Each 

 hair is white at the root, after which there is an undulated space 

 rather curiously coloured, as it has one side white and the other 

 side brown. This particoloured space is followed by a broad pale 

 band, and the hair ends in a dark brown point. Now, the 

 difference in colour between the two subspecies depends on the 

 pale subterminal space being entirely cream-buff in the Central 

 Ibex, and white with a broad red ring in hispanica. 



Another noteworthy difference between these two Ibexes is 

 found in the colour of the hind border of the thighs. In the 

 Central form this part is buff, abi'uptly contrasting with the 

 brown of the haunches ; whereas in the Ibex of the Mediterranean 

 region it is coloured like the rump and the flanks, the tint being 



* P. Z.S. 1901, i. p. 91. 



